On the afternoon of Sunday, March 31, the Lincoln City Police Department received a call from employees of the Sunglass Hut at the Lincoln City Outlets regarding a theft. The employees reported that two females and a male had stolen several sets of sunglasses then fled the store.
Lincoln City police officers responded and began investigating. The employees were able to direct officers to the vehicle involved, a white pickup truck, as well as providing video of the suspects. Inside the truck officers could see multiple un-bagged items of merchandise from various stores at the Lincoln City Outlets.
Officers located the involved male, 34-year-old Guillermo Lopez-Villalobos of Salem and an associated female juvenile sitting nearby. Lincoln City officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies canvassed the area but were unable to locate the other female involved; however, LCPD Officers located a stash of stolen clothing items on the property that appeared to be associated with this theft.
Lopez-Villalobos was arrested and taken to the Lincoln County Jail on charges of organized retail theft, first-degree theft and criminal conspiracy. The female juvenile was taken into custody and later released to an adult relative. The juvenile female will be referred to the Lincoln County Juvenile Department. The adult female involved in this case was not located and has not been identified.
LCPD officers obtained a seizure warrant for the pickup truck and it was towed to the Lincoln City Police Department. In the following days, LCPD officers obtained a search warrant for the pickup truck and searched it, recovering stolen merchandise from several different stores in the mall. The estimated value of the recovered stolen merchandise is over $4,000.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this crime, or the female involved, is encouraged to contact Officer Zach Rigg at 541-994-3636.