CAMPBELL — Using drone footage, Campbell police arrested a man and a woman last week for stealing from a local department store, adding to the dozens of other times the pair had been arrested in connection with similar crimes.
Police said KC Vernon Pries, 38, of Sunnyvale and Mary Jo Devera, 48, of San Jose were seen leaving the Kohl’s store on Hamilton Avenue around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in a reportedly stolen vehicle. A store employee reported the two had “actively removed security sensors from clothing,” police said.
A drone, deployed to capture the fleeing man and woman, tracked down the two and directed officers at the couple, who had then fled the stolen car on foot.
The drone found Pries hiding on an apartment building roof, and Devera was found down the street from the Kohl’s store. Both suspects were later arrested, police said.
Police said the car Pries and Devera used in the shoplifting had been reported stolen in San Jose and was equipped with stolen license plates. Police also found stolen property, burglary tools and drug paraphernalia in the car.
Police said Pries had been arrested more than 25 times since 2004 and Devera eight times since 2001. Pries also violated his probation, according to police.
The two were arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, conspiracy to commit a felony, retail theft, vehicle theft and possession of burglary tools, stolen personal identification information and drug paraphernalia.
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