Drone helps Campbell police capture two suspects in store theft

CAMPBELL — With the help of drone footage, Campbell police arrested a man and a woman last week for allegedly stealing from a local department store, adding to the dozens of other times the pair had been arrested in connection with similar crimes.

Police said KC Vernon Pries, 38, of Sunnyvale and Mary Jo Devera, 48, of San Jose were seen leaving the Kohl’s store on Hamilton Avenue about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in a reportedly stolen vehicle. A store employee reported the two had been “actively removing security sensors from clothing,” police said.

A drone, deployed to catch the fleeing man and woman, tracked the two down and directed officers toward the pair, who by then had fled the stolen car on foot.

The drone located Pries hiding on a residential rooftop, and Devera was found down the street from the Kohl’s store. Both suspects were later arrested, police said.

Police said the car Pries and Devera used in the store theft had been reported stolen in San Jose and was equipped with stolen license plates. Officers also found stolen property, burglary tools and drug paraphernalia in the car.

Police said Pries had been arrested more than 25 times since 2004 and Devera eight times since 2001. Pries was also violating his parole, police said.

The two were arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of resisting arrest, conspiracy to commit a crime, retail theft, vehicle theft and possession of burglary tools, stolen personal identifying information and drug paraphernalia.