Jean Lugo-Romero San Francisco drugstore thief caught on viral video stealing from Walgreens outlet busted over CVS theft over the weekend in a rash of brazen drug store robberies.
A man suspected of committing a brazen, caught-on-camera theft inside a San Francisco Walgreens that went viral last week was arrested over the weekend as he attempted to steal from yet another another drug store in the city, according to reports.
Jean Lugo-Romero, 40, was arrested Saturday morning circa 8.34 a.m as he sought to rip off a business on Haight Street with about $978 in cosmetics that police say he intended to steal, according to a release via San Francisco police.
Lugo-Romero was busted as police who trailed the man caught him shoving the merchandise into a duffel bag at a CVS outlet.
Police said Lugo-Romero was being sought in a series of drug store thefts, including one at a Walgreens where he allegedly shoveled items into a black plastic bag and pedaled away on a bicycle with little resistance from a store security guard.
The June 15th crime was recorded and posted to Twitter, where it went viral and renewed debate about a San Francisco law that critics say embolden shoplifters because of laxed punishment.
SF Walgreens repeat bike thief gets 16 months prison
This just happened at the @Walgreens on Gough & Fell Streets in San Francisco. #NoConsequences @chesaboudin pic.twitter.com/uSbnTQQk4J
— Lyanne Melendez (@LyanneMelendez) June 14, 2021
Prolific thief
The controversial city law, called Proposition 47, lowered the penalty for stealing goods worth less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor.
‘These items that are being taken — there’s definitely an illegal aftermarket,’ said Lt. Scott Ryan, speaking to ABC 7. ‘There’s definitely an organized effort in order to get these items and sell them and fence them throughout the city, and the state as well as the nation.’
Investigators believe Lugo-Romero — whom they described as prolific — committed five other thefts since May 29, four of them in the 300 block of Gough Street, including two robberies and two burglaries.
The fifth occurred in the same 400 block of Haight Street just two days before Saturday’s arrest according to CBS San Francisco.
Following Lugo-Romero’s arrest over the weekend, the bandit was charged with attempted grand theft, entering a business with the intent to commit theft and possession of narcotics paraphernalia, police said.
He also had an outstanding warrant for skipping a court date for a past theft case, police said. Lugo-Romero remains held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
