Vacaville CHP Officer Pleads Not Guilty To Stealing From Target Store

By Bay City News Service         

         VACAVILLE — A California Highway Patrol officer pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Solano County Superior Court to stealing electronics from a Vacaville Target
store earlier this month.
          Shawn Hammonds, 36, of Vacaville, is charged with four counts of
burglary with intent to commit grand or petty larceny. A preliminary hearing
date will be set July 12.
           Hammonds was on leave for a non-job-related injury at the time of
the alleged thefts, a CHP official said.
           Hammonds was arrested May 9 on suspicion of commercial burglary
and posted $30,000 bail, Vacaville police Sgt. Jeff King said.
          He is suspected of taking an Xbox game system and other expensive
electronic equipment valued at $1,359 from the store at 3000 Harbison Drive
on four occasions, King said.
          Two of the alleged thefts, including that of the Xbox, occurred
within a three-hour period on May 9, King said.
          Hammonds allegedly left the store without paying for the Xbox
around 4:15 p.m. that day, King said. A witness gave police Hammonds' license
plate number and he was later pulled over and arrested, King said.
          "Investigators believe that Hammonds has sold stolen property over
the Internet," King said.
          Hammonds has been a CHP officer for five years and worked in
Sacramento in the Capitol Protection Section of the CHP's Protective Services
Division, the division's assistant chief Pat Burnett said.
          His duties included protecting Capitol grounds, surrounding
buildings and employees who work there, Burnett said.
          Hammonds had been on leave for his injury for four months, Burnett
said.
          "The allegations are very serious, and if they are true, they are
very disappointing and embarrassing to the department and its employees,"
Burnett said at the time of Hammonds' arrest.
          The CHP is conducting an administrative investigation in conjunction with the Vacaville police investigation, Burnett said.