Golf Ball Theft Spree Hits Cupertino Stores

San Jose police said Friday that a 40-year-old San Jose man was arrested after investigators tied him to a string of golf-ball thefts from retail chain stores in Cupertino and three other South Bay cities. The investigation covered thefts reported between March 25 and May 5, according to a department statement. Police said the suspect, William Yixin Pu, stole large amounts of golf balls in about 28 separate incidents with total losses of nearly $8,000. Authorities said they later found the merchandise at his San Jose residence and alleged he had been reselling it online. ### Who was arrested, and what do police say he did? William Yixin Pu was identified by San Jose police as the primary suspect in the case. The department said its Organized Retail Theft Detail, working with the Santa Clara County High Impact Team, linked Pu to thefts from multiple retail chain stores in San Jose, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. (sjpd.org) Police said the theft pattern was unusually specific: in each incident, the suspect allegedly stole large quantities of golf balls. The department did not name the stores involved in its release, but said the losses across the 28 reported thefts totaled nearly $8,000. ### How did the investigation reach Cupertino? Cupertino was one of the four cities named by San Jose police in the case. (sjpd.org) The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office provides law-enforcement services for Cupertino, and the sheriff’s office has said organized retail theft has been a growing focus in the area under a state-funded enforcement program that runs through December 31, 2026. The sheriff’s office said in a 2024 program summary that organized retail theft cases typically involve targeted thefts followed by resale of stolen goods for financial gain. San Jose police said that is what investigators concluded here, alleging that Pu was reselling the stolen golf balls online. (sjpd.org) ### When did police make the arrest? May 6 was the arrest date cited by San Jose police. The department said investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Pu and a search warrant for his residence, then located and arrested him in San Jose with help from the Santa Clara County High Impact Team. Police said officers executing the search warrant recovered stolen golf balls and other evidence at the home. (sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov) Pu was then booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on a felony grand theft allegation, according to the department. ### Why are golf balls drawing this kind of police attention? The San Jose Police Department assigned the case to its Organized Retail Theft Detail rather than treating the incidents as isolated shoplifting reports. (sjpd.org) The department’s statement described a series of thefts across four cities over about six weeks, and the sheriff’s office has said organized retail theft in Santa Clara County often involves repeated targeted thefts and resale. The sheriff’s office said its grant-funded retail-theft initiative began in January 2024 after the agency received $11.7 million from the state’s Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. Cupertino is one of the contract cities served by the sheriff’s office, which said the program includes a proactive investigative team and retailer partnerships. (sjpd.org) ### What happens next in the case? May 15 is the date San Jose police publicly announced the arrest and asked for additional information from the public. The department said anyone with information should contact Investigator Moody #1617N of the Organized Retail Theft Detail at 408-277-4166, or submit anonymous tips through P3TIPS, the police tip line, or Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers. (sheriff.santaclaracounty.gov) The next public developments are likely to come through court filings or additional police updates. For now, the named participants are San Jose police, the Santa Clara County High Impact Team and Investigator Moody, who remains the department contact on the case. (sjpd.org)