3 women charged for stealing more than $1,600 worth of items from OC Ulta store, police say
The women were also linked to a theft that occurred earlier at a nearby Kohl's store, according to police.
SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Three Southern California women have been charged after they were caught stealing more than $1,600 worth of items from an Ulta Beauty store in Seal Beach, police said.
Video of the women's arrest was posted on the Seal Beach Police Department's Instagram page and has since gone viral.
Police say the three women - 24-year-old Destiny Bender, 24-year-old Deanna Hines and 26-year-old Michelle Pitts - stole an estimated $1,635.24 worth of items from the store on December 4.
The women were also linked to a theft that occurred earlier at a nearby Kohl's store, according to police. The women were detained after a brief foot pursuit, which was captured on police body cameras.
All three women were booked into the Orange County Jail on charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and resisting arrest.
The incident comes as Proposition 36 went into effect, which creates stricter penalties for organized theft and expands law enforcement's capabilities to combat repeat offenders.
The law permits felony charges for petty theft with prior convictions and allows aggregating the value of stolen goods from multiple thefts to meet the $950 felony threshold. It also introduces enhancements for theft crimes involving two or more offenders acting in concert.
"Proposition 36 gives law enforcement and prosecutors much-needed resources to address the growing issue of organized retail theft," said Seal Beach Police Chief Michael Henderson. "This legislation sends a clear message that our communities will not tolerate those who prey on businesses and disrupt public safety."
The incident remains under investigation.
