Six people were arrested Saturday after reportedly shoplifting a combined $3,777.78 worth of items from the Burlington store in south Fort Myers.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, at around 2:17 p.m., deputies responded to a reported theft at the Burlington in Gulf Coast Town Center. Deputies pulled over a minivan trying to leave the shopping mall, which matched the suspect's description. All four people in the vehicle were detained. Numerous items were found inside the van with their merchandise tags still attached.
An asset protection officer at Burlington told deputies he was watching surveillance video and saw two people grabbing shoes and removing safety devices with an anti-theft tool. He said he saw a third person meet the other two and place all the items in a plastic bag. One of the suspects made a phone call, and the trio left the store without paying for the items, meeting up with a fourth person and leaving in a minivan.
According to the arrest report, deputies obtained the store surveillance video and David Rodriguez Reyes was identified as the registered owner of the minivan. Jose Lopez Madan and twin sisters Annelis and Annia Hernandez Gonzalez were identified as the three other suspects in the theft.
Detectives got a search warrant for the van and found 48 pairs of shoes and sandals, three packs of socks, an anti-shoplifting device and three Burlington shopping bags. The stolen items totaled $1,584.49, LCSO said.
While deputies were investigating the initial theft at Burlington, they received a call for another theft at the store. Deputies stopped a sedan leaving the shopping center that matched the suspected thief's description. All three people in the vehicle were detained, and two large suitcases were seen in the back seat.
The Burlington store loss prevention officer told deputies that surveillance video showed two men, later identified as Yoan Soto and Michel Magrinat, entering the store and placing dozens of items into suitcases before leaving without paying.
Deputies searched the sedan, finding three suitcases filled with 68 items, mainly backpacks and shoes, that totaled $2,193.29.
The six suspects, residing in the Miami area, are facing theft-related charges. Soto was also booked on a felony warrant out of Cape Coral.