Modesto couple sentenced for stealing thousands in merchandise from Target
A Modesto couple have been sentenced for stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from the Target store in Manteca last year.
Zalena Herrera, 25, and Charles Byrant, 27, both of Modesto, were arrested in October after being identified as suspects in two felony organized retail thefts from the Manteca Target, according to a press release from the Manteca Police Department.
They stole an estimated $2,300 in merchandise from that store alone and are suspected of stealing from multiple Target stores in Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Tuolumne counties, said Manteca police Lt. Gregg Beall.
Beall said the crime spree started in August 2020, involved 45 incidents at 19 stores and resulted in the theft of approximately $20,000 in merchandise.
Byrant and Herrera mostly stole gaming electronics and Legos, he said.
At the time of their arrests, Herrera and Byrant both were on probation for previous theft convictions and had other charges pending for which they had failed to appear in court, according to the release.
Dave Brown, a detective assigned to Manteca’s Organized Retail Crime Unit, located the suspects at a residence in Modesto and arrested them with the assistance of Modesto Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit.
Byrant has remained in custody since the arrests but Herrera was released on her own recognizance, according to Beall. In January, she was arrested, along with a new accomplice, while fleeing a Kohl’s store with $1,000 worth of merchandise.
Last month, Herrera and Byrant pleaded guilty to organized retail theft and grand theft. Herrera was sentenced to serve 20 months in jail followed by 16 months on monitored felony probation. Byrant was sentenced to 300 days in jail.
The case was prosecuted by the San Joaquin District Attorney’s Organized Retail Crime Unit.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 5:42 PM.
