Masked Cigarette Theft Sparks Arrest, Debate As Petaluma Police Continue Search

PETALUMA, CA — Police are still searching for two people suspected in a masked cigarette theft case at a Petaluma 7-Eleven.

The incident began when a masked man walked into the 7-Eleven on May 24, took multiple packs of cigarettes, and sped away in a brown Scion with two passengers.

Petaluma police said in a social media post that they found the Scion parked in the 300 block of Petaluma Boulevard South with a single occupant inside and the stolen cigarettes in plain view.

Police identified the vehicle's occupant as Waheed Matero-Lindauer, 19, of San Jose.

Officers arrested Matero-Lindauer on suspicion of shoplifting and conspiracy to commit a crime. Police allege that he was involved in the theft but did not enter the store. Investigators are still working to identify the two other suspects.

A witness had recorded the vehicle's license plate number, according to police. That information, along with footage captured by a Petaluma FLOCK camera, led officers to the Scion.

The post sparked a small debate online over the use of FLOCK cameras as a law enforcement tool. "While I appreciate the cameras' current use, is there a way to ensure they won't be used as a surveillance tool in the future?" one woman posted on the Petaluma Police Facebook page.

"People are paranoid. PPD uses them for crime, not surveillance," a man replied.

Public opinion remains divided as some police departments and elected officials have canceled contracts with FLOCK, while others have maintained the systems.

Amid the debate, Petaluma police and other agencies have pointed to arrests facilitated by FLOCK cameras as evidence of the technology's value.

Nevertheless, the cameras continually raise privacy concerns and spark backlash.

"They are a surveillance tool," another commenter wrote on the Petaluma police Facebook page. "There's literally no other reason for a camera to exist than to take pictures. We aren't fighting over where to build data centers for nothing."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Cox at zcox@cityofpetaluma.org or submit an anonymous tip through the Petaluma Police Department's online tip portal.