Suspect arrested in $4,000 alcohol heist at SLO County Vons
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in the theft of $4,000 in alcohol from a Vons store last week.
On Feb. 12, deputies arrested San Diego resident Georgian Lovesmith for allegedly stealing a cache of alcohol from the grocery store in Nipomo over the course of an hour earlier this month, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
During the theft on Feb. 2, a man removed individual bottles from their packaging and concealed them under his clothing or stashed them in his backpack before leaving the store, only to return to the scene of the crime again and again to snatch more merchandise, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect was captured on video dressed in a distinctive black hooded jacked or sweater with a large white insignia on the back, according to the release.
On Feb. 12, deputies arrested Lovesmith, 23, during a traffic stop on Highway 101. He was on parole out of San Diego, the release said.
“Detectives recovered more than $10,000 worth of stolen items during the investigation,” the release said.
Lovesmith was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of burglary, grand theft and possession of stolen property, along with a parole hold, the release said.
He was not in custody as of Thursday.
Tips submitted by the public helped the Sheriff’s Office identify Lovesmith.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the community for their assistance and cooperation, which played a key role in bringing this case to a successful conclusion,” the release said.
