San Luis Obispo police arrest alleged serial REI burglar
June 20, 2025
By JOSH FRIEDMAN
San Luis Obispo police officers arrested an alleged serial burglar who tried again this week to steal merchandise from the REI store on Madonna Road.
On Tuesday, staff at the REI store observed a man trying to steal approximately $1,700 worth of merchandise by placing it in a bag. When confronted by staff, the suspect abandoned the items and exited the store.
The suspect, identified as 62-year-old transient Robert Wendell, had been arrested for theft at the same REI store five days earlier, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department. Wendell recently served six months in jail following a Nov. 2024 conviction for burglarizing REI.
Following the confrontation in the REI store, patrol officers located Wendell at a bus stop on Madonna Road. Officers arrested Wendell and booked him in San Luis Obispo County Jail on a charge of attempted second-degree commercial burglary.
Wendell remains in custody with his bail set at $110,000.
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