More than $13,000 of merchandise stolen from Ulta stores and Victoria’s Secret in Fresno
More than $13,000 of merchandise was stolen from a pair of Ulta Beauty stores, as well as a Victoria’s Secret in Fresno on Tuesday, according to Fresno Police.
Lt. Paul Cervantes said two females are wanted for grand theft after stealing approximately $8,000 from the Victoria’s Secret store in Fashion Fair Mall.
Then the suspects stole at least $1,000 of product from the Ulta located near Highway 99 and Herndon Avenue before heading to the Ulta store in the Villaggio shopping center near Blackstone and Nees avenues and taking off with more than $4,000 of merchandise, Cervantes said.
Officers spotted the silver Kia believed to be the car the women were driving on northbound Highway 99 but the car sped away. It was north of Avenue 20 in Madera County when a decision was made for Fresno officers and air support to stop following them.
“That doesn’t mean these individuals in this investigation are going to get away scot-free,” Cervantes said. “We still have detectives working follow-up. We have good video on them.
“I’m confident we’ll get these individuals identified. We do have the license plate number and really good footage from both Ulta locations.“
Police added that the suspects tossed out “a significant amount of property that they stole” while officers chased them, including lingerie and other undergarments.
Among the other items taken were perfumes, which can sometimes sell for more than $100 per bottle.
Police said the Ulta store employees confronted the women about stealing.
But the suspects simply exited the store with several items still in their possession, while employees were left to call police for assistance.
Officers had responded to a 911 call of a theft in progress at the Ulta Villaggio store when it was determined that the same suspects stole from the northwest Fresno Ulta location about 30 minutes prior.
Police later discovered the suspects also were responsible for the grand theft at Victoria’s Secret based on the lingerie and undergarments tossed out the fleeing vehicle during the police chase.
Detectives were examining whether the suspects might also be connected with similar crimes in different cities.
“We’re always cognizant,” Cervantes said, “that these types of crimes or crime sprees can occur and may be connected to other locations or other cities.”
Police plan to release video footage that could help identify the suspects.
This story was originally published March 2, 2021 at 10:04 PM.
CORRECTION: A previous version incorrectly reported that one of the Ulta stores robbed was at River Park Shopping Center.
