Shoplifter arrested after hiding in her Tesla’s trunk at the Irvine Spectrum

The Irvine Police Department’s Spectrum team was notified of a woman shoplifting at Sephora on Wednesday.

When loss prevention tried to stop her, she refused to stop. As the Spectrum team arrived, loss prevention lost the suspect in the parking lot. An excellent citizen told the officers they observed the suspect enter a white Tesla and crawl into the trunk.

Officers opened the trunk after multiple knocks and announcements and found the suspect hiding.

In her car, she had $600 worth of stolen Sephora items and $250 of stolen Lululemon merchandise.

Emely Yanagida, 35, of San Marcos, was arrested for possessing burglary tools, resisting arrest, and shoplifting.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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