Wenatchee Police Investigating Felony Retail Theft at Ulta Beauty
Chief Edgar Reinfeld said the thieves followed a pattern authorities have seen in larger metro areas but not in the Wenatchee Valley – until now
On Aug. 21, shortly before 7 pm, two men dressed in black with black masks covering their faces entered the Wenatchee Ulta Beauty store with garbage bags and proceeded to stuff as many fragrances they could lay their hands on into them.
Wenatchee Police Chief Edgar Reinfeld said within a few minutes they were able to grab a little over $10,000 in stolen property and cause less than $500 in damage. Then they hopped in a vehicle out front and took off. Security cameras captured high-quality images of the vehicle, allowing authorities to identify the make and model, but the license plates were covered by paper and duct tape.
He said the thieves followed a pattern law enforcement agencies are seeing in larger cities across the nation but it’s not something authorities have seen in Wenatchee – until now.
“I don’t think we’ve seen this kind of retail theft here before,” he said. “If we have it hasn’t been prevalent at all.”
He said without the license plate number it’s going to be difficult to identify the vehicle – especially if it’s not from the area.
“It looks like all these organized retail store thefts we’re seeing all over the country,” he said. “I would say particularly in California and larger metropolitan areas – I know there have been plenty in Portland and Seattle and some places back East.”
Reinfeld said they have seen instances of thieves making a loop across the state seeking easy targets to “smash and grab”, like vehicles left unattended at trailheads, but this seems like a horse of a different color.
You can hear more about that type of crime in this clip:
This case is under active investigation, and Reinfeld said he would update me with any pertinent additional information as it becomes available.
If in fact this robbery hasn’t been reported by other local media, one has to wonder why. With this occurring nearly a week ago, there’s been ample time. Could there be a reluctance to admit our town has something in common with “those liberal cities on the coast”?
Dollars to doughnuts the items will get fenced on Amazon.