PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two women have been arrested in what officials are calling a well-orchestrated theft ring that targeted clothing stores in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.
One of the women arrested, 19-year-old Janiyah Robinson, is the suspected ringleader of the group that totaled nine people, and struck stores for a suspected total of around $75,000. In addition to stores in Center City Philadelphia, the group is also known to have hit a Lululemon in Suburban Square in Ardmore and the Givenchy store at the King of Prussia Mall.
Janiyah was arrested last week outside of a Lululemon at 17th and Walnut Streets with another member of the group, 24-year-old Ayonna Robinson (no relation). Both went into the store and filled trash bags with clothing and attempted to make a getaway in a car, but traffic allowed police to catch up to them.
Detectives later learned that Janiyah would often recruit high schoolers and other youth without records from her neighborhood near 17th and Susquehanna Streets in North Philly to help with the heists. She would pay them, and the merchandise they stole would be resold at bars in North Philly and online.
At one point, Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers said Janiyah recruited a 9-year-old girl to help.
“At least two times we have her on video entering a store with a trash bag and loading up,” he said. “It’s absolutely a disgrace.”
Evers also said seven other people who were part of the ring have yet to be arrested.
“We are sharing that information right now with the other counties. We are looking at video from this investigation and from other retail thefts,” he said.
Both women face around a dozen retail theft charges in Philadelphia and Montgomery County.