CAMARILLO, Calif. — Two Los Angeles residents accused of executing repeated organized retail thefts at a local department store were intercepted and arrested Friday by Ventura County Sheriff's deputies, public safety officials announced Monday.
The arrests took place on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the Target shopping center located at 209 West Ventura Boulevard in Camarillo.
According to an official agency notification released by Detective Sergeant Ernan Jauregui, the law enforcement investigation originated on July 27, 2026, when Camarillo Patrol deputies responded to an initial shoplifting call at the same Target location.
In that incident, a male and female suspect filled a shopping cart with unpaid retail goods, exited the storefront, and fled the parking lot in a personal motor vehicle before responding deputies arrived on scene.
Investigation Leads to Intercept of Fleeing Suspects
Detectives assigned to the Camarillo Investigations Bureau assumed primary responsibility for the grand theft inquiry. Reviewing commercial surveillance security footage, investigators obtained physical descriptions of both suspects along with the vehicle used during the initial theft.
Investigators utilized automated license plate reader (ALPR) system tracking tools to flag the vehicle. On Friday, August 21, law enforcement received notification that the suspect vehicle had returned to the same Target shopping center on West Ventura Boulevard.
Detectives coordinated immediately with Target Loss Prevention personnel, who confirmed via internal security cameras that the same couple had re-entered the retail facility, selected additional merchandise without paying, and walked out to their automobile.
Camarillo Patrol deputies flooded the surrounding retail corridors, located the fleeing automobile, and initiated an enforcement traffic stop. Deputies safely detained both occupants, identified as 60-year-old John Sobodash and 64-year-old Helen Sobodash, both residents of Los Angeles.
Vehicle Search Yields Stolen Goods, Narcotics, and Felony Charges
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, investigating detectives recovered approximately $1,500 in stolen miscellaneous retail items. In addition to the stolen property, deputies seized a usable quantity of crack cocaine alongside illicit drug paraphernalia.
Based on the bulk volume, variety, and packaging of the recovered retail goods, detectives concluded that the duo operated an organized retail theft scheme, stealing retail merchandise for the explicit purpose of resale on the secondary illicit market.
"On July 27, 2026, Camarillo Patrol deputies responded to a report of a theft at the Target shopping center in Camarillo... Detectives assumed the investigation and entered the vehicle’s license plate into the Sheriff’s Office Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system hotlist feature," the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office detailed in its official news bulletin.
"On August 21, 2026, detectives received an ALPR alert that the same suspect vehicle from the prior Target theft had returned... Camarillo Patrol deputies conducted an enforcement stop on the vehicle as it fled the area and took John Sobodash and Helen Sobodash into custody," police officials confirmed.
Both individuals were transported to the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility in Ventura and booked on a series of penal and health codes:
- John Sobodash (60): Booked on Penal Code 490.4 (Organized Retail Theft), Penal Code 487 (Grand Theft), Penal Code 182 (Conspiracy to Commit a Crime), Penal Code 459.5 (Shoplifting), Health and Safety Code 11350 (Possession of a Controlled Substance), and Health and Safety Code 11364 (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia). Bail set at $20,000.
- Helen Sobodash (64): Booked on Penal Code 490.4 (Organized Retail Theft), Penal Code 487 (Grand Theft), Penal Code 182 (Conspiracy to Commit a Crime), and Penal Code 459.5 (Shoplifting). Bail set at $20,000.
Combating Regional Organized Retail Theft
Organized retail theft rings present significant economic and safety challenges for municipal shopping hubs throughout Ventura County. Criminal groups frequently travel across county lines to target high-value retail stores, attempting to evade local law enforcement by rapidly fleeing onto regional freeway networks like U.S. Highway 101.
Close collaboration between store loss prevention teams and local law enforcement remains essential to stopping multi-jurisdictional shoplifting operations. When retail businesses share detailed security footage and vehicle information with detectives, patrol units can rapidly establish containment perimeters as soon as suspects return to commercial centers.
Intercepting organized retail theft groups before they leave commercial parking areas protects retail workers, stops illicit resale networks, and ensures stolen goods are returned to store shelves.
Members of the public with additional information regarding this ongoing investigation (Report Nos. 26-97129 and 26-109302) are urged to contact lead investigators Detective Jordan Rojales at (805) 947-8326 or Detective Jeffrey Collins at (805) 947-8252.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Ventura County Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-8477 or visiting venturacountycrimestoppers.org. Official agency updates are available on the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Nixle portal.