Amador County – A Modesto man and woman were arrested on multiple charges March 3 they stowed a computer in the box of another item and purchased both at Walmart in Martell.

Yolanda Marie Gurule, 24, of Modesto was arrested and charged with burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Thomas Paul Alvarado Jr., 31, of Modesto was arrested and charged with burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and falsely impersonating another.

Amador County Undersheriff Jim Wegner released details of the investigation Wednesday, saying that on March 2, Amador County Sheriff’s Department received a call from the Walmart Loss Prevention Department reporting that they had been the victim of a theft on March 1.

The Loss Prevention Specialist said “an unknown male and female subject entered the office supply area and opened a box containing a new file cabinet. The subjects opened the file cabinet drawer and then placed miscellaneous property, including a computer valued at $498 in the drawer,” Wegner said. The suspects then closed the drawer, returned the file cabinet to its original box, took the box to a cashier and purchased the file cabinet for $43.

On March 3, an Amador Deputy was dispatched to Walmart on an unrelated matter. While addressing that issue, the deputy was contacted by Walmart Loss Prevention and advised that the suspects from the March 1 theft were at the store.

The deputy contacted the female subject as she was placing a flat screen TV in a vehicle. The deputy identified the female subject and determined she was on searchable probation for burglary in Stanislaus County. As the deputy interviewed the female subject, he observed the previously stolen computer in the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle.

Wegner said when confronted with video surveillance, the female subject, Yolanda Marie Gurule, confessed to her involvement in stealing the computer from Walmart on March 1. As Gurule was being detained, the male subject, Thomas Paul Alvarado Jr., approached. Alvarado provided the deputy with an ID which the deputy immediately recognized was not Alvarado. Alvarado ultimately provided his true identification.

It was determined that Alvarado had two felony and one misdemeanor arrest warrants from Stanislaus County and one felony arrest warrant from Tuolumne County. The warrants were for possession of controlled substances, theft, and driving with a suspended license.

A search of the vehicle revealed two stolen computers, a stolen television, two baggies containing suspected methamphetamine and two glass methamphetamine smoking pipes.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.