Los Banos, CA (September 15, 2025) — A Los Banos man was arrested in Vacaville earlier this month after attempting to flee on foot from police during a suspected organized retail theft. The escape was quickly thwarted when a police drone tracked both suspects from the air, leading officers directly to their hiding spots beneath parked cars. The dramatic arrest was captured on video and can be viewed here.
According to Lt. Chris LaChuga, Public Information Officer with the Vacaville Police Department, the arrest occurred around 12:48 p.m. on Friday, September 5, after store employees at a business on the 2000 block of Harbison Drive called to report two male suspects known for their involvement in retail theft. Loss prevention officers told police the men were using magnets to remove security tags from merchandise and had staged a suitcase next to a shopping cart full of clothing items, presumably to load up and walk out undetected.
When officers arrived on the scene, the suspects ran out of the store and into the parking lot. Officers gave chase on foot while a drone launched from Vacaville’s new Real-Time Information Center tracked their movements from above. The aerial footage allowed officers to maintain visual contact with both suspects, who attempted to hide under vehicles in the lot. Thanks to this coordinated effort, both men were quickly apprehended without further incident.
One of the suspects was identified as 23-year-old Angel Gonzalez of Los Banos. The second suspect, Eduardo Mendoza Benitez, age 28, was also taken into custody, though police did not immediately confirm his city of residence. Both men were booked into Solano County Jail on charges including organized retail theft, conspiracy, and probation violations. The total value of the merchandise they allegedly intended to steal was estimated at just over $300.
The Vacaville Police Department’s swift response and integration of drone technology highlight a growing trend in law enforcement’s use of real-time surveillance tools to combat organized retail crime which continues to be a problem across California. Lt. LaChuga credited the department’s collaborative response and tech-driven tactics for the safe and efficient arrests.
Video footage of the incident, including drone surveillance, is available for public viewing via the Vacaville Police Department’s Facebook page and can also be seen here.
