By Ishani Desai
The Sacramento Bee
ELK GROVE, Calif. — Elk Grove police used a drone to help track and arrest a man last week accused of stealing nearly $7,000 across four stores, police said Tuesday.
Officers were called Wednesday to investigate retail theft at an Ulta store, during which suspect Marian Mitroi fled the scene in a white BMW, police said.
The 34-year-old man was tracked to Sephora using the Elk Grove Police Department’s real time information center and traffic cameras. Officers sent up a drone as he reached the store and watched him park.
Mitroi began running as soon as he left Sephora and officers began to chase him, according to the drone video. He dropped his white sweatshirt and products police said he stole while dashing to his car, but officers caught up to him and took him into custody.
Mitroi was arrested on suspicion of multiple charges of organized retail theft and grand theft, police said. He was no longer in custody Tuesday after being arraigned in Sacramento Superior Court last week.
He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 16 for a settlement conference, court records show.
“Planning on coming to Elk Grove to steal?” the Elk Grove Police Department wrote in a social media post. “Better think twice, we might be inside, outside, and above the store you are about to do it at.”
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