SAN FRANCISCO—On Apil 3, 2025, the San Francisco Police Department reported that a habitual shoplifter in the region has been arrested.
The SFPD reported on December 4, 2024, Marcel Criner, 57, was arrested for a petty theft incident that occurred at a retail store on the 1300-block of Castro St. The singular petty theft incidents result in a cite and release for suspects, but officers were notified about four other petty theft incidents by the same suspect at the same store. Due to the aggregate total of all five theft incidents totaling $1,294.73, Criner was booked on the felony theft charge of 487(e) PC, among other charges.
On December 6, 2024, he was issued a stay-away order from that retail store and released from jail on his own recognizance. On December 18, 2024, Proposition 36 came into effect after being passed by voters. Proposition 36 included the creation of CA Penal Code 666.1. The statute enables the charging of petty theft incidents as a wobbler (misdemeanor or felony) if the suspect has two or more prior theft convictions. Criner had numerous prior theft convictions.
In March of 2025, investigators from the SFPD Defend Against Retail Theft (DART) Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Task Force began investigating Criner for five petty theft incidents that occurred at the same store and after Criner was issued a stay-away order for that location. Investigators discovered that Criner was a suspect in three petty thefts from the same store in November of 2024. The total loss for the new incidents totaled nearly $3,000.
On March 25, 2025, members of the SFPD DART ORC Task Force arrested Criner, at 850 Bryant St. He was transported and booked into San Francisco County Jail on the following charges:
-5 x Petty Theft w/ Prior – 666.1(a)(1) PC/F
-5 x Committing a Felony While on OR – 12022.1(b) PC/F
-5 x Court Order Violation – 166(a)(4) PC/M
-3 x Petty Theft – 490.2(a) PC/M
-2 x Organized Retail Theft – 490.4(a)(1) PC/M
“Our officers will continue to use every tool available to them, including new statutes from Prop 36 passed by voters, to hold suspects accountable. I’d like to thank the investigators who worked tirelessly on these cases and continue to curb organized retail theft in our city,” said Police Chief Bill Scott. “I’d also like to thank our District Attorney, who filed charges in this case.”
The SFPD is still investigating the case. Anyone with details is asked to contact the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
