Update: CHP Officer Arrested for Theft Was on Leave

By Bay City News Service

The California Highway Patrol officer arrested Monday on suspicion  of stealing electronics from a Vacaville Target store was on leave for a  non-job related injury, a CHP official said.

Shawn Hammonds, 36, of Vacaville, was arrested on four counts of  commercial burglary and posted $30,000 bail, Vacaville police Sgt. Jeff King  said.

Hammonds allegedly took 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 the Xbox, occurred within  three hours Monday, King said. Hammonds left the store without paying for the Xbox around 4:15  p.m., King said. A witness gave police Hammonds's vehicle's license and he  was arrested after an enforcement stop, 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, the largest of the CHP's three  Protective Services Division commands, the division's assistant chief Pat Burnett said.

His duties involved protecting the Capitol grounds, surrounding  buildings and agencies and their employees, Burnett said.

Hammonds was on leave for a non-job related injury for the past  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.

The CHP is conducting an administrative investigation in  conjunction with the Vacaville police investigation, Burnett said.