Cache of stolen powdered baby formula found, Cartersville police say
Police make massive stolen baby formula busst
Cartersville Police put a stop to a group of thieves stealing baby formula. Officers say they were caught with hundreds of cans in their car. Those cans are worth tens of thousands of dollars. Investigators discuss where they were getting the formula and how they got caught.
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - A series of shoplifting cases eventually lead investigators to a cache of hundreds of containers of powdered baby formula.
According to the Cartersville Police Department, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office sent an alert to area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for a Tahoe with Texas tags believed to be involved in a series of shoplifting incidents at Publix supermarkets.
It was the Cartersville Police Department which located that vehicle. Investigators say officers spotted it at a Publix located at 300 Cherokee Place on Thursday. Police say those officers decided to wait to see who came out. Police say officers spotted two brothers leaving the grocery store with backpacks full of baby formula.
Regulo Sanchez-Romero and Mateo Sanchez-Romero (Cartersville Police Department)
Regulo Sanchez-Romero, Mateo Sanchez-Romero, and a 16-year-old girl with them were all arrested
Investigators say when officers searched their vehicle, they found 662 more cans.
"You could see bags full of different types of baby formula," said Cartersville Police Lt. Greg Sparacio. "We estimate this to be just over $26,000 of baby formula."
Both adults were charged with felony theft by shoplifting, felony theft by receiving, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The two men gave officers addresses in Dallas, Texas, addresses, police say.
(Cartersville Police Department)
Regulo Sanchez-Romero was also charged with driving while unlicensed, while Mateo Sanchez-Romero was also charged with providing a false name and date of birth.
Investigators in several jurisdictions are now working to determine if they are responsible for similar thefts. Investigators believe the formula had been stolen from Publix, Walmart, and Kroger stores in Tennessee and across north Georgia.
Baby formula has been hard to come by for parents for more than a year after FDA inspectors temporarily shuttered the nation’s largest domestic formula factory due to bacterial contamination. February marked a year since the shortage started and ripples in the supply chain were still being felt.
Some of the cans of formula cost about $20, while others cost more than $40 each and are often hard to find.
"This particular brand Nutramigen, it's specifically for any type of allergy related to dairy the kid may have. The fact that is what's being taken is really upsetting to people because this is the one that as soon as it comes in on the shelves it flies off," said Lt. Sparacio.
(Cartersville Police Department)
They did not tell investigators what they intended to do with all the formula.
"I'd like to hope they were taking it just to go out and give to the needy, but I don't think that's the case," said Lt. Sparacio.
Police say they do not know what will happen to all the formula. They are hoping once the case goes through the legal system, they will be able to give the formula to anyone who needs it.
The brothers were booked into the Bartow County Jail.