Full Notification

9/4 - Retail theft incidents are on the rise in Novato, mirroring challenges faced in many communities throughout California. As a result, the Novato Police Department has partnered with several of our retail stores and allied agencies to investigate these crimes. 
 
Earlier today, Novato Police Officers and Detectives were conducting an operation at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. Undercover detectives, as well as uniformed officers gathered information about retail theft teams. Around 2:30PM, Target Loss Prevention employees alerted the team to a theft incident that had just occurred. NPD located a man driving away from the scene who match the description. The driver was identified as George Gains, a 62-year-old San Rafael resident. Gaines had just stolen over $950 worth of merchandise. The stolen property was returned to Target representatives and Gaines was booked into the Marin County Jail for burglary. 
 
NPD would like to thank our allied agencies and community partners who assisted with this investigation. We extend our gratitude to the Loss Prevention Team at Target for their collaboration in securing critical evidence, which is essential in future prosecution.
 
If you notice suspicious behavior, immediately call Novato Police at 415-897-4361. In an emergency or in-progress crime, call 9-1-1. Try to provide dispatchers with the most accurate information while keeping yourself safe. Information like, suspect description, vehicle description, direction of travel, and license plate numbers are extremely helpful to our officers. Stay safe Novato!