Police are alleging a local man got in the habit of snatching beer from area stores.
Hollister Police arrested Ruben S. Mendoza, 18, on suspicion of burglary Thursday after he was accused of stealing beer from a grocery store on McCray Street. After his arrest, police alleged he was the same suspect in two other beer burglaries, according to a statement from police.
On Thursday, the Hollister Police Department received a call of a beer theft from the Save Mart Store on McCray Street, according to the statment.
According to that statement: Several male suspects had entered the store and ran out with cases of beer. A witness was able to write down the license plate of the vehicle used by the suspects to get away.
Officers tracked the vehicle to a home on the 500 block of A Street where they located Mendoza. Officers arrested Mendoza for the beer theft and later discovered he was the same suspect viewed in surveillance footage from previous beer thefts, at other stores in Hollister, on Jan. 11 and Jan. 21.
He was transported to the San Benito County Jail where he was booked on suspicion of three counts of burglary, providing false information to police officers and for minor in possession of alcohol.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact Officer Erik Morris at 636-4330. Persons wishing to remain anonymous may call WeTIP at (800) 78-CRIME.
Information provided to WeTip may result in an award of up to $1,000.
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