Four Sacramento residents arrested in Modesto retail theft operation
Four Sacramento County residents were arrested Monday after police say they attempted a string of organized retail thefts in Turlock and Modesto, stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise before being stopped outside the WinCo Foods store in Modesto.
According to the Modesto Police Department, Turlock officers notified Modesto police around 2:08 p.m. Oct. 6 that a retail theft crew had just hit the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Turlock and could be heading north to target Modesto next.
Loss-prevention personnel from both stores coordinated quickly, and within minutes, employees at the Modesto Dick’s Sporting Goods saw the suspects arrive. Surveillance footage showed the suspects’ vehicle park a considerable distance from the store entrance. Two suspects entered while two stayed behind as lookouts and getaway drivers, police said.
Once inside, the suspects began grabbing items “with no regard for pricing,” the release said. Store staff and loss-prevention officers intervened, prompting the suspects to flee and abandon roughly $1,300 in merchandise.
Officers began canvassing the area, and the department’s Real-Time Crime Center used citywide cameras and license plate recognition data to locate the suspect vehicle near WinCo Foods at 2200 Plaza Parkway.
When patrol and detectives arrived, they saw the suspects exiting WinCo with a shopping cart of unpaid groceries valued at over $530. The group loaded the items into a vehicle and attempted to leave the parking lot, but officers deployed a mobile spike system that deflated both passenger-side tires. The suspects surrendered shortly after and were taken into custody without incident.
A search of the vehicle turned up about $1,900 in stolen merchandise from Dick’s Sporting Goods in addition to the stolen groceries from WinCo, police said.
The arrested suspects — all Sacramento County residents — were identified as Bryan Tillisbaca, 28; Isaiah Collier, 28; Temajemi Bacafrye, 25; and Jamar Hundley, 25.
Each faces multiple felony charges, including burglary, attempted burglary, grand theft, receiving stolen property, organized retail theft, conspiracy, and working together to commit a felony.
Detectives later obtained a bail enhancement, setting bail for each suspect at $750,000, citing the organized nature of the crimes, their out-of-county residency and the likelihood of continued criminal activity.
MPD Lt. Kalani Souza praised the coordination among agencies, including the Turlock Police Department and the Modesto Police Department’s patrol and trafficunits, the Real-Time Crime Center and the Investigative Services Division.
“This is a great example of how timely communication and teamwork can stop organized theft groups in their tracks,” Souza said. “This crew targeted multiple cities, but thanks to strong interagency cooperation, their operation ended here. ”
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM.
