Four Valley residents arrested in Sonora thefts

Three Modestans and a Turlock resident were arrested in Sonora on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy. The four were found in possession of stolen items from a Save Mart supermarket and Ross Dress for Less store.

About 3:30 p.m., Sonora police were alerted to a theft in progress at the Save Mart at 1045 Mono Way. They were told that two men and a woman stole baby formula and alcohol before getting into a white pickup truck driven by a third man.

The woman and one of the men also were seen entering and leaving the Ross store next door to the supermarket.

The pickup description was broadcast to officers, who saw it heading east on Mono Way and pulled over the driver. The occupants were identified as Maura Rose Aherne, 26, Brandon Jacob Dominguez, 22, and Christopher Ryan Rocha, 23, all of Modesto, and Joseph Krueger, 33, of Turlock.

During a search, baby formula and alcohol were found in backpacks. Officers also located several clothing items, which still had Ross tags on them. Aherne admitted to stealing clothes from Ross, the Sonora Police Department posted in a Facebook account of the incident.

The total value of the stolen items was about $1,500.

"There's no indication that any of the involved parties had a child," said Debbie Dills of the Sonora Police Department. "It is believed that the purpose for obtaining the baby formula was for resale in the Valley area."

Aherne was booked into the Tuolumne County Jail on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy to commit a crime. During the booking process, she also was found in possession of a controlled substance and so faces a charge of transporting a controlled substance into a jail facility. Aherne is being held on $25,000 bail.

Krueger was booked for grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and violation of probation. He also had on him a controlled substance, so was booked for that, too. And because he gave officers a false name prior to being booked, he was charged with impersonating another person. He is being held on $25,000 bail.

Dominguez, booked for grand theft and conspiracy, is held on $20,000 bail. And Rocha was booked for grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of probation. He also is held on $20,000 bail.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Four Valley residents arrested in Sonora thefts."