A suspected retail theft in Fullerton early Saturday morning ended with two suspects in custody, one suspect still on the run, and a third suspect dead after suffering a medical emergency while in police custody, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

Police said officers responded at approximately 4:51 a.m. on Nov. 7 to a business in the 2200 block of North Harbor Boulevard after receiving reports of a theft in progress involving two adult males and an adult female. Investigators say the suspects exited the business with merchandise and were attempting to enter a waiting vehicle when officers arrived.

According to Fullerton police, all three suspects immediately fled on foot down a steep embankment and into dense brush near a local golf course. Officers pursued and eventually found one male and the female suspect hiding in the vegetation. Both were arrested without incident. The third male suspect escaped and remains outstanding.

Police said the arrested male suspect encountered significant difficulty climbing back up the steep terrain after being taken into custody. Officers reportedly removed his handcuffs to allow him greater mobility after observing repeated falls and difficulty walking. During that process, officers noticed he had become unresponsive.

Officers administered Narcan, requested Fullerton Fire Department personnel, and began CPR after determining the suspect had stopped breathing. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Fullerton police stated that a preliminary review of body-worn camera footage indicates no force was used during the incident. Nonetheless, because the suspect became unresponsive while in custody, the death is being investigated as an in-custody death under standard procedures. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has launched an independent investigation, and the Orange County Coroner will release the deceased suspect’s identity at a later date.

Possible Criminal Charges Facing the Surviving Suspects

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the surviving suspects or specified the value of the allegedly stolen merchandise. That distinction matters under California law.

If prosecutors determine the value of the merchandise was $950 or less, the suspects could face misdemeanor shoplifting charges under Penal Code 459.5, generally punishable by up to six months in county jail and fines.

However, if investigators conclude the theft exceeded $950, involved organized retail theft activity, or was part of a coordinated theft crew, the suspects could face significantly more serious charges, including:

• Grand theft.
• Organized retail theft.
• Conspiracy.
• Possession of stolen property.
• Resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer.
• Probation or parole violation allegations if applicable.

The decision by all three suspects to flee from officers could also lead prosecutors to pursue additional resisting charges under California Penal Code 148(a)(1), a misdemeanor that carries potential jail time and monetary penalties.

Should investigators determine that the suspects entered the store intending to steal merchandise in a coordinated operation, conspiracy enhancements could also increase potential penalties.

The outstanding suspect faces additional legal exposure. Flight from police often results in separate charges if and when the suspect is apprehended.

A Crime Category That Continues to Plague Orange County Retailers

Retail theft remains one of the most persistent crime problems facing Orange County businesses.

Over the past several years, local law enforcement agencies have devoted substantial resources to combating organized retail theft rings targeting department stores, home improvement centers, pharmacies, beauty supply stores, athletic retailers, and luxury brands.

Common targets include:

• Ulta Beauty stores.
• Sephora locations.
• Target stores.
• Home Depot locations.
• Lowe’s stores.
• CVS pharmacies.
• Walgreens stores.
• Designer retailers operating at South Coast Plaza and other shopping centers.

Retailers report losses reaching millions of dollars annually across Orange County due to theft, fraud, and organized theft crews that frequently travel from city to city targeting multiple stores in a single day.

Orange County Cities Reporting the Most Retail Theft Arrest Activity

Based on the volume of retail centers, population size, and repeated organized retail theft enforcement announcements in recent years, the Orange County cities most frequently associated with retail theft arrests include:

• Anaheim.
• Santa Ana.
• Irvine.
• Huntington Beach.
• Fullerton.

These cities contain many of the county’s largest shopping districts, major retailers, and regional commercial centers, making them frequent targets for both opportunistic shoplifters and organized theft crews.

Anaheim’s Resort District and major shopping corridors, Santa Ana’s dense retail footprint, Irvine’s Spectrum and major shopping centers, Huntington Beach’s extensive commercial districts, and Fullerton’s retail corridors all generate significant enforcement activity related to theft crimes.

Why the Medical Findings Matter

One of the key unanswered questions is why the suspect became unresponsive.

The fact that officers administered Narcan suggests they may have suspected a possible opioid-related overdose or other medical emergency. However, Narcan is routinely administered whenever first responders believe an opioid overdose could be involved and should not be viewed as evidence of a confirmed overdose.

The official cause of death will ultimately be determined by the Orange County Coroner following toxicology testing and medical examination.

Potential factors investigators typically examine in these cases include:

• Drug intoxication.
• Pre-existing medical conditions.
• Cardiac events.
• Environmental stress.
• Physical exertion.
• Combination medical factors.

Until the coroner releases findings, the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death remain undetermined.

What Happens Next

The criminal cases against the surviving suspects will move forward independently of the in-custody death investigation.

Meanwhile, Fullerton police are continuing efforts to identify and locate the outstanding suspect who escaped into the golf course area.

Under California law governing critical incidents, Fullerton police stated they will release a Critical Incident Community Briefing video within 45 days containing body-camera footage, recordings, and other evidence related to the incident.

As those videos, coroner findings, and prosecutorial reviews become public, investigators will seek to answer the central question left behind by this unusual case: why a suspected retail thief who was alive when taken into custody suddenly suffered a fatal medical emergency while being escorted from a steep hillside crime scene.