Two Women Arrested in Napa County Collision Following Outlet Mall Theft; Deputy Injured

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Two women were arrested on Sunday afternoon after a Napa County sheriff’s deputy’s car was involved in a collision following a theft at the Napa Premium Outlets. The incident occurred at around 1 p.m. when deputies from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported theft at the Gap clothing store, according to sheriff’s spokesperson Henry Wofford.

A Gap employee had witnessed two women cutting security sensors off clothing items and leaving the store with approximately $1,200 worth of merchandise without paying. Upon leaving the store, the deputy saw the women quickly walking to their car carrying two large bags without any Gap labeling. The deputy attempted to pull over their vehicle as it left the parking lot, but the car instead headed south on Freeway Drive, initiating a pursuit involving both deputies and Napa Police officers.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 24-year-old Zakiya Genesis Willis of San Francisco, made a U-turn and headed north on Freeway Drive, resulting in a collision with the deputy’s vehicle that had initially spotted them leaving the outlet mall. The deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment following the crash.

Sheriff’s deputies managed to detain Willis and her passenger, 34-year-old Mikaela Unique Hampton of Bay Point. Both women declined medical treatment and were subsequently booked into the Napa County jail. Willis was booked on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon due to the collision with the deputy’s vehicle, felony evasion of peace officers, grand theft, and criminal conspiracy. Hampton, on the other hand, was booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy.

Both suspects were later released on bail, with Willis being released on a $100,000 bail and Hampton on a $10,000 bail, according to jail booking records.

The incident highlights the ongoing issue of organized retail crime, with retailers reporting significant losses due to such crimes. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of security measures in preventing theft and the collaboration between law enforcement agencies to apprehend suspects involved in such activities.

In other news, vehicle thefts have been on the rise, with retailers losing billions of dollars each year to organized retail crime. A recent analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau revealed that over 1 million vehicles were stolen in 2022, representing a 7% increase from the previous year. Full-size pickup trucks, particularly Chevrolet and Ford models, were found to be most at risk, accounting for nearly 50,000 thefts each.

To provide a localized look at vehicle theft trends, CheapInsurance.com used data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau to identify the most frequently stolen passenger vehicles in each state. The data revealed the most commonly stolen models in states such as Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and others.

The rise in vehicle thefts can be attributed to various factors, including the inflated cost of used cars and trucks in recent years and social media trends that promote methods of vehicle theft. Despite the high number of thefts, the report also highlighted that a significant portion of stolen vehicles are recovered, providing some relief to victims.

Overall, vehicle theft remains a significant issue that requires continued efforts from law enforcement agencies and the public to prevent and combat this type of crime..