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- A man was arrested and accused in a string of thefts at Home Depot and Lowe's stores across the state amounting to more than $82,000 in merchandise.
- Investigators believe he has been traveling around the country committing thefts with the intention of reselling the stolen products.
SALT LAKE CITY — A man has been arrested and accused of being involved in a string of thefts at Home Depot and Lowe's stores across the state amounting to more than $82,000 in merchandise.
Manuel Gonzalez, 52, was arrested Monday for investigation of retail theft and a pattern of unlawful activity.
Agents from the Crimes Against Statewide Economy Strike Force executed a search warrant on Gonzalez's motel room and van, where they say they recovered more than $82,000 in Home Depot products, according to a statement from the Utah Attorney General's Office. The products included electrical outlets, breakers, switches and carbon monoxide detectors.
"Gonzalez appears to have been traveling around the country participating in organized retail theft with the intention of reselling the stolen home products," the attorney's office said.
Investigators say Gonzalez would select a boxed item such as a bathroom vanity and use the box to hide electrical breakers. He would purchase the vanity with cash and leave the store without paying for the electrical breakers, and later return the boxed item for a cash refund, according to court documents.
Using this method, Gonzalez stole between $3,000 and $7,000 in products from stores at the Washington, St. George, and Cedar City Home Depot locations on Saturday, according to a police booking affidavit. On Sunday, police said he did the same at two Salt Lake Home Depot locations.
He also committed 18 thefts totaling around $72,000 between April 30 and May 5 at various stores, the affidavit alleges.
"In each of these identified incidents, the suspect was observed on surveillance video conducting the theft," the affidavit states.
Gonzalez's vehicle was identified through Home Depot surveillance video and through a license plate reader at a store in another state, according to the affidavit. His vehicle was located a motel, where he was located and taken into custody.
Police reported locating hundreds of electrical breakers, electrical outlets, tools and carbon monoxide detectors in his van. In an interview, Gonzalez told police he was hiding the products under carpets and selling them on the street to send money to his parents in Mexico, the affidavit states.
"Based on information from ICE, Manuel is in the country illegally, he has previously been deported, he has been arrested in multiple states conducting similar thefts, and he is admittedly homeless and not a resident of Utah," the affidavit says.
Investigators said he stole approximately $7,700 worth of electrical breakers from the Bountiful, Clinton, Layton, Salt Lake City and West Valley City Lowe's stores between Oct. 24 and 25.
