Folsom Police foil organized retail theft

Organized retail theft is a huge problem in the city of Folsom that police are working hard to get under control. Last week, police got a win and caught five people accused of shoplifting thousands of dollars worth of merchandise at a Folsom Outlets store. On Thursday, Oct. 17, at around 5:18 p.m, Folsom Police dispatchers got a call about a report of shoplifting on the 13000 block of Folsom Blvd. The Folsom Police Department Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team responded immediately and got to the scene in time to see the suspect's vehicle leaving the area. A brief car chase ensued until the suspects stopped in a nearby neighborhood. Three of the five occupants fled on foot. Folsom Police established a perimeter and asked for help from the California Highway Patrol helicopter to find the suspects. Folsom Police credit the coordinated response to their rapid apprehension of the suspects, who were caught and arrested. Officers recovered more than $2,300 worth of stolen merchandise during their investigation, which was returned to the store. Based on the picture provided by Folsom Police, the merchandise looked to be at least in part Nike apparel. Diamond Joyner, 20, and Avemarie Afmand, 23, both of Sacramento, were arrested and booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail. The three other suspects were juveniles and transported to Sacramento County Juvenile Hall. Folsom Police say all five suspects face charges pertaining to organized retail theft.