Full Notification

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 23, 2019 5:47 PM            
Case Number:  18-0005291
 
Contact: Sgt. Jeff Justice     (707)588-3574         Mon-Thu 8am-6pm
            Cmdr. Aaron Johnson      (707)588-3580  Mon-Thu 8-5 (PIO)

ROHNERT PARK, CA – On 12/21/18, Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety began investigating a report of a Walmart employee who had been involved in numerous thefts from the store.  Walmart Management had been investigating 18 year old Angel Vu of Rohnert Park after they began suspecting her of not ringing up items brought to her register.  Angel had been working for Walmart since August of 2018.  Upon reviewing surveillance video from November and December of 2018, they realized Angel was passing merchandise by the register without ringing it up and would then load the items into bags as if they were purchased.  They saw that the same subjects would bring their merchandise to Angel’s register and only pay a small amount for a few items, then exit the store with all of the merchandise including the items they did not pay for. 
 
On 12/12/18, Walmart Management saw some of the subjects Angel was not charging for the items come to her line with merchandise.  They stood by the exit door after Angel rang up the merchandise, and contacted them as they were leaving.  They stopped the subjects and checked their receipt, and saw that most of the merchandise had not been paid for.  As they were talking to the subjects, Angel left the store and never returned.  Based on Walmart’s investigation, the believed Angel had provided these individuals with over $4,000.00 worth of merchandise that she did not charge them for. 
 
While reviewing the video footage provided by Walmart, Rohnert Park Detectives noticed that the subjects Angel was providing the merchandise to appeared to be members of her family.  On 01/18/19, Detectives obtained a felony arrest warrant for Angel for charges of Grand Theft and Embezzlement with a $10,000.00 bail.  On 01/23/19, Detectives served a search warrant at Angel’s residence on Camino Colegio Dr. in Rohnert Park looking for the merchandise that Walmart was able to identify had been stolen.  Upon arrival, Detectives contacted Angel and took her into custody on the arrest warrant.  Detectives also contacted Angel’s mother, 41 year old Diem Vu, her sister, 19 year old Judy Vu, and her other adult and juvenile siblings. 
 
While speaking with the Angel and her other family members, Angel, Diem, and Judy all admitted to conspiring together to commit the thefts from Walmart.  Angel would let them know the best time to bring the items through her line, and they would figure out what items they wanted to steal which included food, clothing, TV’s, electronics, video games, toys, and movies.  Angel walked Detectives through the home and pointed out the stolen items they were still in possession of.  Those items were seized and later returned to Walmart Management, who identified it as their merchandise and determined it had a total value of over $5,700.00 (see attached photo of merchandise recovered).  Angel was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on the arrest warrant.  Diem and Judy were arrested on charges of Conspiracy, Burglary, Grand Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and they were booked into the Sonoma County Jail as well. 
 
 
END.