Illinois man accused of stealing thousands in stolen Apple products across Southern California

IRVINE, Calif. - An Illinois man accused of stealing more than $5,000 worth of products from Apple stores across Southern California has been arrested, according to police.

The suspect, 30-year-old Malcolm Walker, was arrested Friday night after he was found in possession of an estimated $1,200 in merchandise in an Apple bag at the Apple store at the Irvine Spectrum Center.

Malcolm Walker, 30, was arrested at the Irvine Spectrum Center after police found him in possession of thousands of dollars worth of stolen Apple products.

An investigation revealed Walker was in possession of 15 other wireless keyboards and three Pencil Pros in his vehicle. The merchandise, valued at over $5,000, had been stolen from multiple other Apple stores in Southern California, police said.

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"Under the new provisions of Proposition 36, Walker was charged with PC 666.1(a)(1) (committing theft with prior convictions), a felony. He was also charged with burglary and possessing stolen property. Walker's visit to Irvine was cut short, and he was booked into the Orange County Jail with enhanced bail conditions," Irvine police shared in an update on Facebook.

Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some retail theft and drug possession offenses, went into effect last week.

Proposition 36 aims to implement harsher penalties for theft and drug trafficking in a state that’s earned a reputation for being "soft on crime." It recategorizes some crimes that were previously classified as misdemeanors into felonies, reversing Prop 47 which voters passed in 2014.