Golf ball theft spree hits Cupertino stores

San Jose police said on May 15 that a South Bay retail theft investigation had identified a suspect accused of stealing large quantities of golf balls from chain stores in Cupertino and three other Santa Clara County cities. The department said the thefts occurred between March 25 and May 5 and involved about 28 separate incidents. Police identified the suspect as William Yixin Pu, a 40-year-old San Jose resident, and said the alleged losses totaled nearly $8,000. The case adds detail to a Cupertino theft story that surfaced locally this week after Patch reported on incidents affecting stores in the city. ### Which police agency said it solved the golf-ball case? The San Jose Police Department said its Organized Retail Theft Detail led the investigation with assistance from the Santa Clara County High Impact Team. In a May 15 release, the department said the thefts were spread across San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, even though some local reports in Cupertino focused on store incidents there. (sjpd.org) Santa Clara County’s public crime-reporting dataset shows sheriff incident data are published separately and was last updated May 12, which may explain why some Cupertino-specific public records do not yet reflect the full case described by San Jose police. The City of Cupertino’s sheriff and crime dashboards also carry disclaimers that the information can change and is not guaranteed to be complete. (sjpd.org) ### What, exactly, did investigators say was stolen? San Jose police said the suspect “specifically stole large amounts of golf balls” from multiple retail chain stores. The department did not identify the individual store names in its release, and it did not break out how many thefts were reported in Cupertino alone. Patch’s Cupertino item described the case as a golf ball theft spree that reached local stores, including at least one Target location, but the fuller public accounting now comes from the San Jose police release. (data.sccgov.org) That release framed the case as grand theft and said the incidents stretched across several cities rather than one single store or one single jurisdiction. (sjpd.org) ### Who was arrested, and what did police say they found? San Jose police said investigators identified the primary suspect as William Yixin Pu during what the department called a comprehensive investigation. Police said they also found that Pu was reselling the stolen merchandise online. On May 6, investigators arrested Pu in San Jose, according to the department. (patch.com) While serving a search warrant at his residence, police said they recovered stolen golf balls and other evidence tied to the thefts, then booked him into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on a felony grand theft allegation. ### How broad was the alleged theft pattern? (sjpd.org) The San Jose police release put the number at about 28 separate thefts over roughly six weeks. The department said the incidents ran from March 25 through May 5 and crossed four cities in Santa Clara County, indicating a repeated retail pattern rather than a single shoplifting report. The estimated value — nearly $8,000 — is the clearest public measure of the case so far. (sjpd.org) San Jose police did not say in the release whether investigators believe additional suspects were involved, and the department named only one arrested person. ### Why did Cupertino residents first hear about it as a local store story? Patch’s Cupertino roundup surfaced the story for local readers as a city retail-safety item, pointing to sheriff activity and store concerns in Cupertino. (sjpd.org) The available public police release, however, came from San Jose police because that department said its organized retail theft unit was handling the broader countywide investigation. Cupertino’s city-hosted sheriff mapping tools remain useful for local incident tracking, but both city pages say the underlying data can change and may not be complete. That means residents looking for a full account of this case currently get the most detailed public version from San Jose police rather than from a Cupertino-specific bulletin. ### What happens next in the case? (patch.com) San Jose police said anyone with information should contact Investigator Moody of the Organized Retail Theft Detail at 408-277-4166. The department also said anonymous tips can be submitted through the P3TIPS app, by calling 408-947-STOP, or through Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers, which may offer a cash reward if a tip leads to an arrest. (sjpd.org) (gis.cupertino.org)