BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Four people were accused of stealing luxury fragrances from two Ulta stores in different counties on Wednesday.
According to the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), at approximately 2:46 p.m., officers responded to the Ulta Beauty store located at 363 N Congress Ave. after the store’s assistant manager reported to authorities that several people had entered the store, stolen a large amount of merchandise and fled the parking lot in a silver Hyundai.
When officers met with the store manager, she explained that multiple suspects had entered the store at 2:42 p.m. The store manager stated that one of the suspects had asked for help with an item. She explained to officers that the first suspect was trying to distract her while the remaining suspects began packing items into Ulta shopping bags.
According to the arrest affidavit, the store manager observed the suspect selecting numerous fragrances, including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Tory Burch, Dior, Carolina Herrera and Valentino, totaling $1,946 in value. The report goes on to say the suspect left the store just two minutes later without paying for any of the items. The suspect then fled in a silver Hyundai.
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The store manager told officers one of the items had a tracking device embedded in it, allowing investigators to track the suspect.
According to the arrest report, investigators were able to track down the suspects at another Ulta Beauty at 3820 W. Hillsboro Road in Deerfield Beach. According to the affidavit, investigators observed two women enter the Ulta and then run out of the store a short time later with tote bags filled with merchandise, while the other suspects waited in a silver Hyundai.
After the second theft, the suspects began heading back down Interstate 95 into Palm Beach County.
As the vehicle was heading back to Palm Beach County, the South Florida Task Force and the West Palm Beach Police Department were called in to assist, and one of the suspects was dropped off near 4th Street in West Palm Beach, according to the report.
West Palm Beach police quickly arrested the woman, identified as Aaronanna Frodi, 21. While Frodi was in custody, police found her in possession of $135 worth of Tiffany & Co. Cold Parfum, which they later determined she had stolen from an Ulta in Deerfield Beach.
According to the affidavit, investigators continued to pursue the suspects to 18th Street in West Palm Beach. One of the suspects entered the home with the stolen merchandise and suddenly closed the door. Reports against the suspects continued and the girl was seen attempting to flee the home through a bathroom window. Officers were able to apprehend the girl.
According to the affidavit, the owner of the 18th Street home arrived on the scene and gave police permission to enter the home, where police arrested two men, identified as 21-year-old Keyon Monroe and 19-year-old Anthony Mickens.
Monroe, Mickens and Frodi were taken to the Palm Beach County Jail. The juvenile was transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
