By David M. Greenwald
Executive Editor
Woodland, CA – Taveon Thompson and Dorian Adams were arraigned Monday on multiple felonies in Yolo County Court after being arrested by Davis Police last week following a series of thefts that began in Woodland and ended in Davis the same day.
Adams had posted $50,000 bail while Thompson, age 18 with no prior criminal record was ultimately released on OR following some heated discussion.
According to the complaint, the two face a felony charge for committing, organized retail theft on two or more occasions with a value exceeding $950. They also face felony conspiracies to commit a misdemeanor for each of the locations they hit.
For the Davis crime, the complaint alleges they drove to the CVS in Davis together, entered the store each carrying an empty bag, and “filled up the bag with approximately $366 of merchandise and left the store without paying.”
Deputy DA Deanna Hay expressed concern about releasing Thompson on OR noting that he gave an address for his aunt on Pendergast Circle that did not exist.
“So that’s a fake address,” she said. “He said he can live with his aunt, but we can’t get a hold of her.”
She added that while he said he lives in New Orleans, “he has an ID issued in 2020 saying he lives in Antioch,” she said, “He’s been living in California for a long time for someone who says he’s living in Louisiana.”
“I think Mr. Thompson is giving fake information to the court and to probation, in order to get released,” she said. “I understand he’s 18 and has no record, but he’s not going to be able to be supervised or be found if he’s released.”
Hays charged, “This is an organized retail theft situation where we have minimum three locations that were targeted, it’s not just one crime, it’s multiple crimes. I have a very strong suspicion that public safety is at risk.”
“I understand that people want to classify this as a property crime but if you had an 8 year old or 10 year old in one of these stores where multiple people come in and willy nilly start grabbing stuff off the shelves and walking out – it is terrifying.
“It is terrifying to the public the retail theft that is going on in this community right now,” she said. “This is a huge public safety risk to release Mr. Thompson.”
Probation recommended OR and pointed out that he does not have a criminal history, it was a retail theft that did not have a victim other than a business. She believed that even knowing where he lived, “supervision would be hard either way.”
The judge expressed concern about Thompson giving out information that may have been false.
Public Defender Peter Borruso however played down the misinformation as more likely an error noting that he was interviewed by probation and not necessarily that familiar with the area in giving an address that was false.
He also pointed out, “When you sign an OR release, you are also signing that you waive extradition” which would mean it would be easier to transfer him back to California should he return to New Orleans, one of the concerns of the DA.
Judge Dyer originally was going to go supervised OR but probation talked him out of it.
He added, “On this particular matter, I am going to order his personal presence at the next court date.”
Probation asked for clarification as to whether he would be able to go out of state. She noted that this particular program, “does not allow him to go out of county over 100 miles without permission of the court.”
Judge Dyer responded, “I can order him to be in contact with probation – whatever you want to call it.” He added, “I have concerns over whether or not he’s going to show up at the next court date.”
Probation responded, “Probation does not mind supervising this client, finding him is going to be the problem. It would be the court supervising him – the court can get a warrant for his arrest just as easy as probation.”
The next hearing is set for December 27 with orders to stay away from CVS and Walgreens in Woodland and CVS in Davis.
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