PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three Delaware women are facing felony shoplifting charges in Chester County, accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of clothing and fragrances.
Annabelle Cain, 20, Itaijyah Clark, 32, and Diamond Richards, 33, are all facing felony retail theft charges. Richards is also charged with reckless driving and trying to flee police.
West Whiteland police detective Scott Pezick said employees at the Ulta Beauty store in Exton were on high alert last week, after shoplifters hit stores in Plymouth Township and Newtown Square earlier in the day.
He says those employees called West Whiteland police.
“We started searching around for the vehicle. Well, it turned out the store actually called us and said, ‘Hey, they're in the store right now,’” Pezick said.
Related
“They went in. They each grabbed a basket. They proceeded to the fragrance aisle, where they each loaded the basket up and just walked out.”
Pezick says officers stopped the suspects near the shopping center, but as the officer stepped out of the vehicle, the driver took off.
But neighboring police caught up to the van on U.S. Highway 202.
Related
Pezick says there was more than $15,000 worth of merchandise in the van including more than $5,000 worth of clothing from Macy’s and shoes from DSW, so much he says officers didn’t realize there was a third person in the van.
“They didn't even realize somebody, a third person, was in the backseat because there was so much merchandise,” Pezick said. “The whole backseat of this van was just loaded.”
He says they have a great relationship with retailers in the area, so he hopes people get the message not to try to shoplift in Exton.