In a major crackdown on retail theft, California Highway Patrol officers have nabbed a Los Angeles woman and seized over $1 million in purloined cosmetics from well-known chain stores. The bust is part of an aggressive push to stem a tide of organized retail crime that has been hitting businesses hard across Southern California.
A raid on two locations, a warehouse in Paramount and The Makeup Store in Los Angeles, unearthed not just heaps of suspected stolen goods but also the tools used to filch them, KABC reported. Brenda Yanez, 48, is caught up in the sweep, facing charges of organized retail theft, grand theft, and possession of stolen property, according to investigators.
Among the target stores, CVS, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and the 99 Cents Only Store have been victimized by the retail theft ring that Yanez is believed to be part of. The extensive operation was no simple shoplifting spree, but a calculated assault on retail, one that Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to confront with increased enforcement efforts.
In response to the worrying spike in such crimes, loss prevention operatives from the affected retailers were on hand during the bust, aiding officers in recognizing the absconded merchandise as reported by the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, retail businesses have stiffened defenses, locking everyday items behind plexiglass in an attempt to thwart thieves.
The arrest is a notched win for the Organized Retail Crime Task Force of the CHP, which, after a significant uptick in retail theft, made more than 1,000 arrests this year alone—a 109% increase since last year.
