PHOENIX — A man is accused of stealing over $7,000 worth of merchandise from a Valley story over the course of a year.
Christian Kaya, 22, was indicted last week on 31 counts of organized retail theft, which is a class four felony. He is accused of hitting the same retail store at least once a month for over a year, according to a news release from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Between February 19, 2023, and April of this year, Kaya allegedly stole items on 31 separate occasions from a Target in west Phoenix, according to court documents.
According to Phoenix police, Kaya would use a backpack or handbasket to gather everything from "clothing to luggage to hoverboards" and leave the store through a fire exit.
Phoenix police said Kaya stole more than $7,000 worth of goods intending to sell them. When Kaya was arrested, he had two active warrants for failing to appear for sentencing on a child abuse case and sentencing on a drug possession case.
“Every instance of organized retail crime creates a ripple effect that trickles down to the wallets of everyday people,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a news release. “I commend the work of the Phoenix Police investigators who successfully pieced together this case. Together with law enforcement, we’ll ensure this crime has no place in Maricopa County.”
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