Police: Employees, Facebook post lead to arrests in Ripon

Quick-thinking employees and a police agency Facebook post led to the arrest of two suspected thieves, authorities said Thursday.

Officers with the Ripon Police Department were called to the Save Mart supermarket in the 1400 block of Goodwin Drive on a report of two suspicious people, according to Lt. Steve Merchant of the Ripon Police Department.

Employees told police two suspects were loitering inside the store and one of them was recognized as having reportedly passed fraudulent checks there before.

Merchant said the employee also recognized both suspects from a post on the Manteca Police Department’s Facebook page. The two were suspected of using stolen credit cards at a Target in that city.

Ripon officers made contact with the two – Dwayne Alton Sterling, 42, of Modesto, and Gilliam Joy Stephens, 39, of Salida. Both were on probation and searchable, Merchant said.

One suspect was found to have drug paraphernalia, and a search of their vehicle turned up stolen property from recent vehicle and residential burglaries, Merchant said.

Sterling was booked into San Joaquin County Jail on charges of conspiracy, making or passing bad checks and more. Stephen was arrested for similar charges and being a felon in possession of a stun gun.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Police: Employees, Facebook post lead to arrests in Ripon."