Authorities bust $400K T.J. Maxx theft ring in Bay Area; 16 suspects tied to case
Authorities uncovered a massive theft ring involving T.J. Maxx stores in the Bay Area and recovered nearly $400,000 in stolen merchandise.
Investigators said 16 suspects are tied to the scheme.
The stolen goods were allegedly sold at flea markets in San Jose.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Authorities broke up a massive theft ring targeting Bay Area T.J. Maxx stores, recovering $380,000 in stolen merchandise.
Crew linked to 80 thefts
What we know
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, 16 suspects were involved in more than 80 thefts, sometimes striking stores several times a day.
The stolen merchandise was resold at flea markets in San Jose.
The probe began in May, after T.J. Maxx alerted authorities of an organized crew hitting multiple locations.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office led the investigation, using surveillance and other techniques to track the suspects.
Nearly $400,000 merch recovered at stash houses
Dig deeper
Authorities identified 16 people connected to the scheme and uncovered five stash locations for stolen goods.
At a San Jose home on the 2000 block of Dobern Avenue, investigators recovered more than $225,000 in merchandise and illegal drugs. Another home on Giannotta Way held more than $100,000 in goods. In total, investigators seized $380,000 in stolen property from several South Bay locations.
Eight suspects were arrested: Christian Hernandez Guzman, 20; Jazmine Sanchez Valencia, 23; Esmeralda Hernandez Guzman, 44; Maria Sanchez, 66; Jose Guzman, 32; Derek Montes Rios, 19; Stephanie Juarez Polvos, 29; and Rigoberto Hernandez Guzman, 36.
Authorities said they are still searching for several suspects, including Juan Molas, 41; Kevin Calderon, 19; Jacobo Giron, 26; and five others who have not yet been identified.
The Source
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
8 minutes ago
- Fast Company
This trait in leaders makes employees three times more likely to lie
Not long ago, I sat across from a senior leader who proudly described the culture of transparency he believed he had built. 'My door is always open,' he said. 'I tell my team I want the truth, even when it's hard.' Later that afternoon, I spoke with one of his direct reports. She paused when I asked her what it was like to work for him. 'He says he wants the truth,' she said quietly, 'but the moment we challenge him or bring up a concern, he gets defensive or shuts the conversation down. So we've all just stopped trying. He's not a bad guy. He's better than a lot of bosses around here. But he doesn't want the truth the way he claims to.' She wasn't angry. Worse, she was resigned to the fact that's just who he was. And she wasn't alone. The team had learned that what their leader said and what he actually did didn't match. His 'open door' had become symbolic of a broader disconnect—and trust was eroding fast. The leader didn't see the gap. He genuinely believed he was creating a safe space. But his behavior told another story. And that's the thing about say–do gaps: we're often the last to know we have them. What do you do when your words and actions don't match? Most leaders don't wake up in the morning intending to be dishonest. But every time we make a promise we don't keep, fudge a number to hit a target, or stay silent in a moment that demands courage, we open what I call a say–do gap—the space between what we say we value and what we actually do. It may feel small in the moment. Harmless, even. But these gaps come at a steep cost. In my 15-year longitudinal study analyzing over 3,200 interviews across more than 200 organizations, my team and I discovered that when employees perceive misalignment between their leaders' words and actions, they are three times more likely to lie, cheat, and behave unfairly. That's more than a culture problem. That's a leadership choice problem. And more often than not, it's an unconscious one. Why Leaders Rationalize Their Gaps Say–do gaps don't usually come from malice. They come from pressure. From the fear of looking weak. From not wanting to disappoint or disrupt. When leaders find themselves under fire—tight deadlines, investor demands, internal conflict, stress at home—they reach for rationalizations: 'I'll course-correct later.' 'This isn't the hill to die on.' 'No one will really notice.' The problem is, they do notice. Employees notice everything. The skipped apology. The inflated projection. The performance standards you hold others to—but not yourself. They notice when you declare a new set of values in a town hall, then continue rewarding the same old behaviors. And slowly, silently, trust begins to erode. The Hidden Cost of Misalignment We tend to think of dishonesty as dramatic: embezzlement, fraud, lying, or corruption. But in most organizations, dishonesty takes a quieter, more insidious form; people withholding ideas, exaggerating results, throwing each other under the bus, or simply saying 'yes' when they mean 'no.' Our research showed that environments where identity—purpose, values, and culture—is misaligned are nearly three times more likely to foster this kind of behavior. Over time, these gaps corrode collaboration, innovation, courage, and employee voice. People become transactional. Cynical. They disengage not because they don't care, but because they no longer trust that honesty is safe or worth it. In short: say–do gaps cost more than you think. They cost your people's belief in you. Your say-do gaps increase the odds of those around you by a factor of 3x that they will join you in legitimizing their own gaps. Why It's So Hard to See Our Own Gaps The human brain is wired for self-protection. When our actions fall short of our espoused values, we tell ourselves a more flattering story to preserve our identity. We become the hero of our narrative. The pressure was impossible. The budget left no choice. The timing wasn't right. But in order to be honest with others, we have to be honest with ourselves. If we can't see our own dissonance, we can't close the gap. As one executive confessed to me after a disastrous acquisition: 'We all knew it would fail, but we kept our mouths shut. Deal fever took over. We lost sight of who we were—and couldn't admit it.' The result? A $3.5 billion mistake, shattered careers, and broken trust. How to Start Closing the Gaps If you're serious about rebuilding trust and becoming the leader people want to follow, here are four practical ways to begin: 1. Name Your Gaps, Out Loud Ask yourself: Where am I most tempted to say one thing and do another? Where have I rationalized a disconnect between my values and behavior? Then share that reflection with your team. Vulnerability creates clarity. And clarity is what people crave. 2. Make Your Values Observable Don't let purpose statements live in frames on walls. Embed them into how decisions get made, who gets promoted, what gets rewarded, and how conflict is handled. When your actions reflect your values without you having to say a word, alignment becomes contagious. 3. Invite Truth Tellers Every leader needs someone who isn't impressed by their title—someone with permission to challenge and point out blind spots. Create that space. Ask your team regularly, 'Where do you see misalignment in me?' and thank them when they answer honestly. 4. Look for the Pattern Your say–do gaps aren't random. They have a pattern. Look back over your calendar from the past two weeks. Where did your actions bely your stated values? Be brutally honest. Then ask: what triggered the gap? What did you gain by not acting in alignment—comfort, control, approval? Those choices serve a purpose. They make you feel safe. But until you name the pattern and uncover its origin story, you'll keep repeating it. Reflection is the first step toward repair. Closing your say–do gaps isn't about perfection. It's about taking responsibility for the moments where your humanity falls short of your ideals. We all have them. Your people are wondering if you know yours. The most honest leaders I've worked with aren't flawless. They're just relentlessly committed to shrinking the gap between who they say they are and how they show up—especially when it's hard. And in doing so, they earn something far more valuable than compliance. They earn trust. And once you've earned trust, performance, loyalty, courage, and innovation follow. So, if you're serious about leadership that inspires—not just instructs or directs—start here: say what you mean. Do what you say. And keep closing the gap.
CBS News
10 minutes ago
- CBS News
Florida officials travel to California to extradite trucker accused of causing deadly crash
A truck driver from the California city of Stockton is at the center of a major case getting national attention, and now Florida officials are flying to the West Coast to take him back. Harjinder Singh is accused of making an illegal U-turn, causing a crash in Florida that killed three people. He's currently being held at the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp in California's Central Valley. Florida's new Lieutenant Governor, Jay Collins, said he is personally flying to California to pick up Singh and bring him back to Florida to face charges. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the plan in a statement, saying, "We're going to extradite him back to Florida and throw the book at him." Singh, an Indian national, entered the U.S. illegally in 2018. After the deadly crash on August 12, he returned to California and was arrested four days later by U.S. Marshals. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said this move by Florida is all for show. "Florida let a murder suspect walk. California arrested him. Now, Florida wants a photo-op picking him up," a spokesperson for Newsom's office said. The governor's office also mentioned California's sanctuary law, SB-54, which prevents local police from handing people over to immigration authorities if they don't have a criminal history. San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said that Singh had no criminal record before this crash. Withrow said it's still unclear whether the crash was an accident or intentional. As of Wednesday, Singh was still in jail in San Joaquin County. Florida officials are expected to hold a press conference on Thursday in Stockton before leaving with him.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gymnast who sparked abuse inquiry into coach at elite US academy says she 'needed to speak out'
Gymnastics Abuse Inquiry IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Recalling the damage her now-arrested coach inflicted on her and many of her gymnast friends, Finley Weldon said she feels a sense of pride. Free from the grip that Sean Gardner had during her years of training at an Iowa academy known for producing Olympians, Weldon told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that she is among the few who survived his abuse and are still in the sport. The 18-year-old is heading into her freshman year at Iowa State University, where she'll be a member of the Cyclones gymnastics team. She spoke with the AP on Wednesday, less than a week after Gardner was arrested on a child sexual exploitation charge. 'I didn't want him to take away anything from me, especially something that I love,' she said. 'None of the girls that I started with or went through the things that I did with Sean are still doing gymnastics today. So that's something I'm very proud of.' She's also happy she's made a difference, in the same way gymnasts she admires — like Aly Raisman, an Olympian whose visceral accounts of abuse by Larry Nassar shined a spotlight on the trauma gymnasts went through and how authorities failed to curb it. The AP generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse, but Weldon said she wanted 'my name out there because I was the one who did come forward.' 'I felt like I needed to speak out to stop it from happening to other little girls, so they didn't have to go through what I went through,' Weldon said. 'I knew it would just be a continuous cycle if nobody did.' Gymnasts reported abuse to watchdog in 2022 The FBI said Tuesday it believes Gardner 'targeted children' while coaching at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, and gyms in Mississippi and Louisiana where he worked dating back to 2004. Gardner, 38, didn't return AP messages left on his cellphone before his arrest, and has not entered a plea to the charge. A public defender who represented him after his arrest hasn't returned messages. Another former gymnast at Chow's, the academy known for producing Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas, first reported sexual abuse allegations against Gardner to the U.S. Center for SafeSport in March 2022, alleging he fondled her during training sessions, according to an FBI affidavit. That girl provided the names of six other of Gardner's potential victim, according to the affidavit. Weldon said she spoke with a SafeSport investigator about her abuse at the time. SafeSport, a watchdog created after the Nassar scandal to investigate misconduct complaints, informed the West Des Moines Police Department about the allegations. It suspended Gardner from coaching or having contact with any gymnasts in July 2022. The police department said its investigation was closed in 2022 when the initial accuser decided she did not want to pursue charges. Weldon said police never reached out to her in 2022 but she's unsure whether she would have wanted to press charges then. She said she came forward in April 2024 to West Des Moines police at age 16 after she matured and began to realize the severity of her abuse. She praised police for doing 'an amazing job' keeping her informed about the progress of the case. 'It's definitely taken awhile, but I mean, even I didn't realize how many steps there would be to charge him with anything,' she said. Police defend investigative efforts Iowa investigators say they searched Gardner's home in May and seized electronic devices, which contained images of nude girls from a hidden camera Gardner placed in the bathroom of a Purvis, Mississippi, gym where he previously worked. West Des Moines Police Sgt. Daniel Wade said Wednesday the department sought the FBI's assistance in mid-July when the case's 'scope started to broaden.' Asked why the department didn't involve FBI sooner, he said, 'We call the FBI when the time is right.' Gardner is charged in federal court in Mississippi with producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which relate to the alleged hidden camera. Federal and state investigations remain active, and additional charges are possible. Wade defended the department's investigative efforts over the last three years. He said investigators 'went as far with it as we could' in 2022, without a victim seeking charges and have been conducting a thorough investigation since receiving the new complaint in 2024. Wade declined comment on whether investigators reached out to Weldon and other potential victims identified in 2022, saying only that police opened 'lines of communication with different people' that later paid off. Weldon said she met with investigators Tuesday and they asked her to identify herself in an image Gardner allegedly secretly took of her in a vulnerable stretching position. Protecting the 'male figure in my life' Weldon said her goal since she was a girl was to reach the elite level in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic program for those who aim to compete internationally. She said she started training at Chow's after her family moved to Iowa in 2015. She began taking private lessons with Gardner two or three times per week shortly after he joined Chow's in September 2018, when she 11 years old. Weldon said she was struggling as her parents went through a divorce and her father was largely absent from her life. She said Gardner sought to fill that role by telling her she could tell him 'anything' and that he would always be there for her. In hindsight, she said he was manipulating her in order to gain her trust. Finley's mother, Julie Weldon, said she heard concerns about Gardner from other parents at Chow's early on and asked her daughter whether her coach had ever done anything inappropriate. Finley said she falsely told her mother no because she was protecting the 'male figure in my life.' Inappropriate behavior progressed She said Gardner began touching her inappropriately in 2019 during lessons, beginning with long hugs and pats on the back. She said his behavior progressed, and he began touching her butt during the hugs and requiring her to stretch for extended periods in positions that exposed her vagina and anus out of her leotard. She said around 2020 he began touching her vagina while spotting her during exercises. She recalled once telling him not to put his hands there and he claimed it was an accident because her 'leotard was slippery.' Weldon recalled reaching her breaking point with Gardner after a 2021 training in which he yelled and threw shoes at her, telling her she'd never reach elite status. She said she walked out and told her mom she wanted to quit. She said many of her classmates quit or didn't return because of Gardner's conduct after the gym shut down during the pandemic. But while he made her hate gymnastics at times, she continued training when her family moved to Texas and then to Utah. She said she eventually proved Gardner wrong by earning elite status and a spot on a Division 1 team. After news of Gardner's arrest, Weldon saw his jail booking photo in the AP story. She said she was struck by how much heavier and unkempt he appeared. 'He's definitely like gone through a spiral,' she said. 'I think he probably just had so much guilt built up in him that he kind of turned into that.'
