Morro Bay shoplifter arrested in stolen vehicle

December 20, 2017

A shoplifting incident on Saturday at a hardware store in Morro Bay led to the arrests of three San Luis Obispo County residents and the discovery of a stolen vehicle. [Cal Coast Times]

Shortly before 2 p.m., an employee at Miner’s Ace Hardware in Morro Bay reported a man had picked up an item from the store and then fled without paying. Police tracked down Joaquin Martin Ferraiz III, 37, nearby and discovered he was driving a vehicle that had been stolen from San Luis Obispo.

In addition to the item stolen from the hardware store, officers discovered items stolen from a victim in Lompoc in the stolen car.

Officers arrested Ferraiz and booked him into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of driving a stolen vehicle, petty theft, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators located two additional suspects near Miner’s Ace Hardware. Officers contacted Sean Reinhardt and Monica Menchaca and found they were both under the influence of a controlled narcotic substance.

Officers arrested both Sean Reinhardt, 37, from Creston and Monica Menchaca, 37, from Nipomo without incident and booked them into the SLO County Jail on charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance.