Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

Shoplifter changes her skirt, but not her technique, cops say

- By Mike Clary Staff writer mwclary@tribune.com

Shemay have changed her flowingski­rt– trading festive floral for basic black– but the shopliftin­g technique employed by the light-fingered woman and her portly male partner remain the same, authoritie­s said. And so, too, is their target. Almost a year after the couple were caught on surveillan­ce video boosting more than $1,000worth of electronic­s by stuffing the items up or into her voluminous skirt, the couple returned to the same Radio Shack in Weston to help themselves to more packaged goods, according to Broward Sheriff’s detectives.

Value this time: about $400, according to investigat­ors.

“They’re very skilled,” said BSO spokeswoma­n Gina Carter. “They steal hundreds of dollars worth in a few minutes. They have figured out this what they’re doing.”

At about 1p.m. on January 20, the couple waltz into the Radio Shack at 4563Weston Road and as he keeps a lookout she calmly takes small packaged items fromthe shelves and deposits them into her skirt, the video shows.

“Detectives believe she has some kind of bag or pockets sewn into the inner lining of the skirt,” said Carter. “This is not a crime of opportunit­y. They are going in there prepared and have the tools they need. This is not a one-off crime.”

About the same time of day on Feb. 26, surveillan­ce cameras captured the same couple in the act of stealing more than $1,000 worth of computer components at the same store using the same method.

The woman is approximat­ely 5’6” tall and 150 pounds with brown, mediumleng­th hair.

method,

and

know

The man appears to be in his 40s, has a stocky frame, is approximat­ely 5’8”, 250 pounds, with dark hair. He is balding, detectives said.

“They are aware of the camera and look straight into it,” said Carter. “It’s brazen. Because they’ve done it before and didn’t get caught, maybe they do feel confident. We just need a tip that will lead to their arrest.”

The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with informatio­n about these incidents to call Detective MichaelKra­vecz at954-389-2010 or anonymousl­y report informatio­n to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at www.browardcri­mestoppers.

Crime Stopperswi­ll pay up to $3,000 for an anonymous tip that leads to an arrest.

 ?? HANDOUT ?? Investigat­ors are searching for a couple caught on surveillan­ce video last year shopliftin­g more than $1,000 worth of electronic­s by stuffing items up or into the woman’s voluminous skirt. Detectives say they have returned to the same Radio Shack with...
HANDOUT Investigat­ors are searching for a couple caught on surveillan­ce video last year shopliftin­g more than $1,000 worth of electronic­s by stuffing items up or into the woman’s voluminous skirt. Detectives say they have returned to the same Radio Shack with...

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