FACT CHECK: Did A California Store Owner Price All Of His Items At $951 To Prosecute Thieves?

An image shared on Facebook over 560 times claims a California store owner priced all of his store items at $951 so that thieves can be prosecuted.

Verdict: False

There is no record of a California store owner raising his prices so he can prosecute thieves. The claim stems from a satire article.

Fact Check:

California has recently seen a spike in crime, specifically in Los Angeles, that some have attributed to Proposition 47 and the state’s zero-bail system, Fox 11 reported. The zero-bail policy allows suspects to be quickly released from custody and was implemented to limit jail populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ABC 7. Under Proposition 47, crimes such as theft and shoplifting are classified as misdemeanors instead of felonies if the value of the item does not exceed $950.

Now, an image on Facebook shows what looks like a screen grab of a news article bearing the headline: “California Store Owner Prices All Items at $951 So Thieves Can Be Prosecuted.” Additional text in the image explains that there are coupons in the store that will bring the prices of the items back down to “normal.” (RELATED: Does This Photo Show A Tornado In Wasco, California?)

There is, however, no evidence of a shop owner raising all his prices to be able to prosecute thieves as felons. A search of California news outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and KTLA turned up no articles about a store raising prices to $951. Nor did a wider internet search turn up any results of such an incident taking place in California.

Check Your Fact found the screen grabbed article published on The Glorious American. The Glorious American includes a Disclaimer on its “About Us” page stating that it is a “satire publication.”

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