Two women were arrested for allegedly stealing over $20,000 worth of merchandise from Orange County stores.
On May 22, Costa Mesa police responded to reports of a theft at the Lululemon store at the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa shortly before 8 p.m.
Four female suspects were seen fleeing from the mall — two fled the area on foot while the other two left in a getaway car.
The vehicle was later tracked down by officers, but the suspects refused to pull over, leading police on a pursuit through surface streets before entering the 55 Freeway.
With help from a Huntington Beach police helicopter and California Highway Patrol officers, the women were eventually pulled over on the freeway and taken into custody.
The suspects were identified as Latasha Marie Brown, 36, of Clinton, Iowa, and Laporsha Holloway, 37, of Chicago, Illinois, police told the Los Angeles Times.
As police searched the suspects’ car, they discovered several garbage bags filled with clothing and merchandise that had been stolen from Lululemon and other similar retail stores.
Both women are taken into custody on suspicion of grand theft, evading police and conspiracy to commit a crime. The other two female suspects who fled on foot remain at large.
Investigators believe the four women have been working to target other retail locations as part of an organized retail theft ring.
“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the California Highway Patrol Retail Theft Task Force to address this type of organized retail theft,” Costa Mesa police said. “We thank HBPD and CHP for the assistance and teamwork.”
