Pennsylvania police foiled an attempt by would-be shoplifters to steal nearly $10,000 in perfume from a retailer late last week by wrestling the suspects to the ground.
According to West Whiteland Township police, officers had uncovered information that an Ulta Beauty shop in Exton might be the target of a potential robbery. Investigators informed the store about their suspicions, and officers staked out the business, keeping an eye out for a red Nissan Altima thought to be linked to previous Ulta thefts, WTXF-TV reports.
On Friday, investigators spotted the Altima and saw a suspect entering the store before returning to the vehicle. Eventually, two teens went into the store and began filling laundry bags with perfume.
Police confronted the pair as store alarms went off, and the suspects tried to bolt. Officers pursued the teens and tackled two of them to the ground before they could flee. The struggle, which knocked over store displays and shelved items, was captured by security cameras.
"As you can tell they’re very quick, and we know they’re not going to give up easily," Detective Scott Pezick told WTXF, adding that the items the suspects tried to take off with totaled around $8,500.
Nyzaiah Williams, 19, and a 16-year-old who was not identified were taken into custody. A third suspect escaped in the Altima.
Although the incident is still under investigation, police are considering the possibility that the suspects are part of a larger shoplifting ring. In the past four months, shoplifters have targeted Exton's Ulta store at least two other times.
