Police have arrested three people believed to have stolen more than $50,000 in merchandise alone from Fairfax County beauty stores as part of a four-month crime spree.
Two D.C. men — a 21-year-old and a 28-year-old — and an unnamed 17-year-old boy are accused of burglarizing Ulta Beauty stores across the D.C. area, swiping at least $180,000 in merchandise, police said at a press conference this morning (Friday).
The individuals are believed to have struck seven times in Fairfax County alone, en route to 15 total burglaries across the D.C. area, police said. Their last alleged heist came on March 18 — less than a week before they were taken into custody.
“Their acts were brazen across multiple jurisdictions over a four-month span in the Washington Metropolitan region,” Fairfax County Police Department Deputy Chief Gregory Fried said.
Police said that, starting on Nov. 15, the men and teen targeted the beauty stores to obtain high-end fragrances, many of which are valued at more than $100, according to Ulta Beauty’s website.
The suspects would enter Ulta stores during business hours, gathering up merchandise before heading for the exits, police said.
According to FCPD, the crew targeted Ulta stores in Bailey’s Crossroads, Fairfax City and Springfield. The brand features nearly three dozen locations across the D.C. area, including in Tysons and Fair Lakes, among other neighborhoods.
Surveillance footage shared by law enforcement showed the three suspects — clad in all black clothing — entering a store and throwing merchandise into bags. One suspect can be seen using a hammer to smash out glass cases, presumably for high-value items.
The recorded incident took place while multiple customers were shopping at the store.
“Some people may look at this as a property crime or a non-violent crime. I look at it as just the opposite,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.
“There are people in these Ulta stores … exposed to the trauma of seeing having to witness these criminals come in with masks, with gloves, armed with heavy-duty hammers and smash out these display cases,” Davis added.
Police currently believe the three people taken into custody are the only members involved in the burglary ring, Fried said, though they may be connected to more incidents than initially determined.
The suspects face charges in multiple jurisdictions, including Fairfax City and Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Prince William counties. They are currently going through the judicial process in Maryland, where they were arrested before being extradited to Virginia at a later date, Davis said.
