$17,300 in colognes, perfumes taken in two thefts from Lake Worth Ulta, six arrested

Six people are in custody after cologne and perfumes worth more than $17,000 were taken from an Ulta in Lake Worth on Wednesday afternoon.

Lake Worth Police said they were called to the beauty store twice on Wednesday, each time to respond to a report of a theft where thousands of dollars in merchandise had been stolen.

During the first call, officers spotted a vehicle leaving the area that matched a description provided by a witness. Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver initially refused to pull over. After a short slow-speed chase, the driver eventually stopped and four people inside the vehicle were arrested. A fifth person who attempted to get away on foot was also taken into custody.

Lake Worth Police said they recovered $10,000 in stolen merchandise in the car including some with store security tags still attached. Officers also found "tools commonly associated with organized retail crime groups like small wire snips, mylar-lined bags and more."

Photos: undefined

A few hours later, at about 5:30 p.m., Lake Worth Police said officers were called to another theft at the store. Again they spotted a vehicle leaving the area that matched a witness's description and tried to pull the driver over.

The driver refused to stop and Lake Worth Police followed the woman to Grand Prairie where she hit a curb and then tried to hide in a nearby car wash.

Grand Prairie Police arrived to assist and took the 27-year-old woman into custody. Lake Worth Police said $7,300 in stolen merchandise was found inside her car.

Lake Worth Police tweeted photos from both of the arrests showing the merchandise found inside the cars.

#LWPDAlert // And for the second time today, another LW Ulta theft suspect is in custody - this time with the help of our friends @GrandPrairiePD. Following a theft in progress call, LW officers located this vehicle leaving the scene. A pursuit ensued and ended after the vehicle… https://t.co/tUphDfBF9d pic.twitter.com/nec76F1WVu

— Lake Worth Police Department (@LakeWorthPD) June 15, 2023

Lake Worth Police said the woman was booked into the city jail alongside the five others arrested earlier in the day. The five individuals arrested earlier in the afternoon were charged with organized criminal activity while two of them were additionally charged with evading arrest. The woman arrested in Grand Prairie was expected to be charged with felony theft and evading arrest. It's not immediately clear if any of the individuals arrested have obtained attorneys to speak on their behalf.

Police are investigating whether the two incidents are connected. Lake Worth Police Chief J.T. Manoushagian believes they are all part of a larger organization that may be selling the stolen goods for cash.

The Lake Worth Police Department said they clear cases of theft at four times the national average. They attribute this to their "responsibly aggressive" approach to crime.