Shoplifting scheme used S.A. as depot

Emily Garcia, 26. Courtesy photo Emily Garcia, 26. Courtesy photo Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Shoplifting scheme used S.A. as depot 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

San Antonio was home base for an international organized retail theft ring that spanned across Australia, Colombia, Canada and Mexico, authorities said Wednesday when they announced the arrest of five local women who were involved.

Police Chief William McManus said a month-long investigation led to evidence that the women targeted high-end retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Coach, Dooney and Bourke, Vera Bradley, Abercrombie and Fitch and Victoria's Secret — shoplifting from them in bulk with the intent of reselling the property.

“The big thing was that it was all coming back through to San Antonio,” said Sgt. Daniel Anders, who oversaw the investigation that was joined last week by the Department of Homeland Security. “No matter where it was being stolen from, it was all coming back here, being inventoried, and then set up to be resold for criminal profit.”

Police said more arrests could be possible, as the investigation is ongoing, but those arrested so far on a charge of organized retail theft are Emily Garcia, 26; Cassandra Arenas, 23; Eva Salazar, 48; Christian Salazar, 28; and Piedad Perez, 32.

By Wednesday afternoon, Perez and Eva Salazar had each posted $10,000 bond and were released from the Bexar County Jail. Garcia, Arenas and Christian Salazar were released after posting $5,000 bond apiece.

According to arrest warrant affidavits for the women, among the stolen merchandise: 230 pairs of panties from Victoria's Secret, valued at $1,600, and 60 bottles of perfume from Abercrombie and Fitch, valued at $3,600.

Besides more than $500,000 in stolen merchandise and a “large amount of cash,” police also seized from the women three vehicles, fraudulent passports and other travel documents.

“Besides impacting our local community, it looks like the Australians are at a loss in excess of $4 million, Canada probably close to a quarter of a million,” said Deputy Special Agent Vincent Iglio with the Department of Homeland Security. “We can't tie those losses directly to these arrests SAPD made today, but we're sure we're onto a large, global, smuggling operation.”

Anders said the women arrested in San Antonio also were targeting malls in Houston, Austin and San Marcos to shoplift the merchandise.

“They just move to a city until it gets hot for them, and then just leap frog from there, city to city,” he said.