Theft ring steals over $17k in merchandise from Bellevue stores
Several people have been arrested in connection to the thefts.
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Bellevue Police arrested five men accused of stealing more than $17,000 in designer handbags and clothes from Nordstrom.
A source tells FOX 13 that Nordstrom’s Bellevue location is losing $9 million a year in theft. The most compared to any of their other stores.
On Thursday afternoon, a judge heard prosecutors in the latest organized retail theft case against 22-year-old Jesus Delgado. She set his bail at $200,000. According to a 33-page probable cause document, he’s listed as one of five young men accused of running off with handbags, jackets and shirts.
Bellevue Detective Jeff Christiansen identifies and arrests prolific criminals daily. He says a Nordstrom investigator reached out to him sharing images and videos of a two-day stint.
Delgado was arrested Wednesday.
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“Law enforcement put significant resources in finally trying to locate and arrest him,” Christiansen told the judge.
Court documents say Benito Uriostegui, Gerald Hood, Zenaido Ocampo-Martinez, Randy Navarette and another unidentified man targeted the fashion retailer on January 10 and 11 at least three different times.
Surveillance images capture how the accused thieves walked into the mall using separate entrances. Then, three of them dart for the handbag department, grabbing eight purses and stashing them into bags they brought, before making a run for it.
Their plan worked. The three were picked up at a grocery store parking lot across the store.
According to documents, Ocampo Martinez returned the next day. He walked in alone and ran out with $3,400 worth of jackets, vests and shirts. Hours later, cameras captured the group of five returning in three different cars. They split up before entering. Two of them head for the clothing department and get the sales representative to remove the security cables off the coats. The other three men later make their way in.
The sales representative places the coats on hangers and brings them to the register. That’s when the three other men rip them off the rack and dash off. $4,100 worth of clothes makes its way out with them too.
Detective Christiansen tracked the license plates on the cars which helped identify Uriostegui. He was driving his father’s car during one of the thefts and was arrested on Jan. 25.
Christiansen also used their tattoos, social media accounts and other police departments to help identify the men.
Delgado has a criminal record dating back to 2017 and 2019, when he was just 15 and 17-years-old. Among his convictions was Organized Retail Theft. While his convictions were made as a juvenile, he is still not allowed to have weapons; however, police say they found ammunition and body armor inside his home.
Documents say when officials served a warrant for Uriostegui, they did not locate any of the stolen items. He told investigators he tried selling the goods on OfferUp, and when he tried meeting the alleged buyer outside a mall parking lot in Tukwila, he was held up at gunpoint and had the items stolen. He said he couldn’t file a report since the property was stolen in the first place.
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King County Prosecutors are expected to file charges against four of the accused Friday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
