On Wednesday, July 20th, 2022, at 8:39 pm, the Turlock Police Department was dispatched to a reported larceny in progress at Kohl’s, 2751 Countryside Dr, Turlock, after a woman had just been reported by loss prevention leaving the business with concealed and unpaid merchandise and getting into a vehicle in the parking lot.

Officers arrived in the area and located a vehicle in the parking lot just south of the business which matched the description provided by loss prevention. Cory Lee Melendrez, 36, of Modesto, was contacted in the vehicle and detained.

The stolen merchandise was located in Melendrez’s vehicle as well as merchandise that appeared to have been stolen from other businesses.

Melendrez was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of petty theft.