EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced charges Friday against three suspects allegedly involved in a retail theft scheme targeting high-end retail stores in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

The crimes led to a total loss of more than $100,000, Bonta noted at the start of Friday's news conference.

His office is charging the suspects with one count of organized retail theft, 20 counts of grand theft and 13 counts of identity theft.

Over the course of about five months in 2023, the suspects allegedly purchased pieces of jewelry from multiple retailers, using credit accounts they illegally opened after stealing the identities of 13 individuals, the attorney general added.

"Our message to those involved in these crimes is unwavering: If you are engaged in organized retail crime, if you go after our businesses and steal from them, if you steal the identities of fellow Californians, if you try to make an easy buck off of other people's hard work, we will come for you," Bonta said.

Capt. Joe Mendoza from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spoke about the timeline of events in relation to Southern California and beyond.

"Our department remains committed to combating organized retail crime through coordinated and multi-agency efforts, leveraging information-sharing, targeting enforcement and strategic partners to keep safe our businesses and communities," Mendoza said. "With that being said, I believe that the most important element in disrupting these criminal networks is for the public and retailers to report identity theft, retail thefts and where stolen goods are being sold in the communities because that's where we can really put a dent by recovering and shutting down these networks."