Police officers responded to a local business this weekend and quickly discovered it was shoplifting happy hour, according to the Fountain Valley Police Department.
A female subject was detained and the investigation was underway (yes—right in front of the business), when employees reported another shoplifter was inside the same store. He too was also quickly detained.
Both subjects were found with stolen merchandise concealed on their person and both had multiple theft-related prior convictions. One also had several outstanding felony warrants.
The suspects were both arrested for multiple charges.
Moral of the story: committing theft while police are outside is…not recommended.
Penalties faced by the suspects
In 2026, the suspects arrested by the Fountain Valley Police face significantly harsher penalties than in previous years due to the passage of California Proposition 36 (2024), which went into effect on December 18, 2024.
Felony Shoplifting Charges (Prop 36)
Because both subjects have multiple theft-related prior convictions, their new shoplifting acts can be charged as felonies under the updated Penal Code 666.1.
- Sentencing: As a felony, the shoplifting is punishable by 16 months, 2 years, or 3 years in county jail or state prison.
- Fines: They may face fines up to $10,000.
- Treatment-Mandated Felony: Under Prop 36, if the theft was driven by addiction, the court may offer a treatment-mandated felony path, but failure to complete treatment results in the multi-year prison sentence.
Additional Penalties for the Subject with Warrants
The male subject arrested with several outstanding felony warrants faces further immediate consequences:
- Immediate Custody: He will be held without bail or with high bail until he appears before the judges who issued the original warrants.
- Failure to Appear (PC 1320.5): If the warrants are for missing past court dates on felony charges, he may face an additional felony charge, punishable by up to 3 years in county jail and fines up to $10,000.
- Consecutive Sentencing: Any time served for the original warrant offenses is typically served consecutively (added on) to the new shoplifting sentence.
Collateral Consequences
- Firearm Prohibition: A felony conviction for shoplifting under these new rules results in a lifetime ban on owning or possessing firearms in California.
- Restitution: Both suspects will likely be ordered to pay “victim restitution” to the business for any damaged or unrecovered merchandise.
- Ban from Business: As part of their probation, both will likely be served with a “Stay Away Order” prohibiting them from ever returning to that specific business.
Those bums had it comin’… Since they didn’t stop their meyham after Prop 36 got passed, the coddling era in OC is OVER