Full Notification

Yesterday afternoon, patrol and traffic officers with the assistance of detectives responded to the report of a strong arm robbery at Trader Joe’s off Redwood Boulevard. Witnesses reported seeing a female assault an elderly female while attempting to take her purse. The suspect, Haylee Dolan, was detained by officers in the parking lot. During this process, Dolan provided a false name to officers; however, her description matched that of a suspect from an earlier residential burglary. She was subsequently positively identified in both cases and arrested.

Prior to leaving Trader Joe’s, two additional witnesses approached officers and implicated Dolan in a theft from a vehicle as well as a stolen iPhone. Dolan was in possession of the stolen iPhone and other items from the vehicle theft. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Dolan was in possession of stolen property, including jewelry and other personal accessories, from numerous thefts throughout the City of Novato and in unincorporated Bel Marin Keys. Two vehicles were also located on scene, both of which were determined to have been associated with Dolan and were found to have numerous stolen items within.

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office responded and assumed the investigation for the crimes occurring in their jurisdiction. Dolan was booked in the Marin County jail for numerous charges, including: possession of stolen property, residential burglary, attempted robbery, conspiracy to commit a crime, and providing false identification to a police officer.

Joseph Fuentas Ledesma was identified as the driver of the getaway vehicle following the residential burglary. He was arrested and then booked in the Marin County Jail for conspiracy and being an accessory.

The Novato Police Department and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office facilitated returning known stolen property back to the owners. Other property in NPD custody remains unidentified. If you were a victim of theft in the last 24 hours, please feel free to contact (415) 897-4361 at any time.

Thank you to our public safety partners as well as alert community members for reporting suspicious activities. Strong community partnerships with proactive communication are key to enhancing public safety.