SLO County sheriff detectives bust alcohol thief
February 20, 2026
By KAREN VELIE
San Luis Obispo County sheriff detectives tracked down and arrested a man who stole approximately $4,000 worth of alcohol from the Vons grocery store in Nipomo earlier this month.
During his Feb. 2 theft spree, the suspect removed individual bottles from their boxes and concealed them under his clothing and inside a backpack before leaving the store. He returned to the store multiple times to take more alcohol.
As part of their investigation, detectives identified 23-year-old Georgian Lovesmith, who is on parole out of San Diego, as the thief.
On the afternoon of Feb. 12, detectives stopped Lovesmith on Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo. Inside his vehicle, detectives found mutiple unopened liquor bottles, many of which they set on the highway and on the vehicle.
In total, detectives seized more than $10,000 worth of stolen items.
Detectives arrested Lovesmith and booked him in the SLO County Jail on charges of burglary, grand theft, possession of stolen property, and a parole hold.
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