One woman ORC thief hits Palais Royal stores (Stage Stores) for two years in Houston, TX Houston police are searching for an alleged thief who they say made off with more than $34,000 in clothing from several Houston-area Palais Royal stores over a two-year period, Harris County prosecutors said. Maria Mendez, also known as Martha Laura Mendez, has been charged with organized retail theft in the cases, which span from Dec. 28, 2009, to Sept. 21, 2012. Houston police said that Mendez committed more organized retail thefts in the Houston area throughout 2010 and 2011. (Source chron.com)



Three arrested in Alabama with 400 counterfeit debit/credit cards. Three suspects from North Carolina have been arrested in Oxford, Alabama in connection with 400 debit/ credit and gift cards. A clerk at a convenience store confiscated one of the cards the suspect tried to use and contacted police. (Source al.com)







Union Square store in San Francisco hit by girl gang Police are hunting for seven young women who reportedly barged into a Union Square store with empty shopping bags Friday and swiped several pricey items. None of the thieves made any effort to be discreet, police said, as they immediately darted for the shelves and shoved high-value loot into their bags. Last year, the manager of a boutique clothing store on Grant Street said as many as eight girls had been entering smaller stores, stealing items and then fleeing in getaway cars. The smaller shops are targeted because they lack the security of larger department stores, police have said. The Tenderloin and Southern police stations have teamed up to stop the various versions of "organized retail crime" that have increased nationwide. They will have a plan in place to deal with shoplifting for the holiday season, police spokesman Officer Albie Esparza said. (Source sfexaminer.com)

Two Alabama men accused of $10,000 in theft from Lowes. Christopher Spruiell of Adamsville and Terry Ford of Bessemer were arrested in connection with the robbery of the Graysville Lowe’s Home Improvement store early last week. Stolen were high-ticket items like chainsaws, drills and paint sprayers. Estimates indicate that the combined thefts from Lowe’s could be more than $10,000 worth of merchandise at this time. The two are also believed to have hit The Home Depot in the area counties as well. (Source alabamas13.com)