Four arrested after $16,000 Ulta theft ring hits Camarillo

Detectives recovered nearly 100 bottles of stolen cologne and perfume worth more than $16,000 after arresting four Nevada residents linked to an organized shoplifting ring targeting Ulta Beauty stores across Ventura County.

The arrests came Friday, Sept. 25, after investigators tracked the suspects to a motel in Newbury Park, according to Sgt. Todd Welty of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, as first reported by the Camarillo Acorn.

The case began a day earlier, on Thursday, Sept. 24, when an employee at the Ulta store at the Camarillo Premium Outlets reported that two known shoplifters were inside and possibly stealing merchandise. The suspects left before deputies arrived.

A follow-up investigation determined that high-end fragrances had been stolen. Deputies also linked the suspects to numerous previous thefts from Ulta stores throughout the county, according to Welty.

Investigators used automated license plate reader technology to locate the suspects' vehicle in the parking lot of the Premier Inn in Newbury Park. Detectives with the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force, which investigates organized retail and vehicle theft countywide, went to the motel on Sept. 25.

A 39-year-old Las Vegas man and a 42-year-old Las Vegas woman were contacted as they drove through the parking lot while leaving. A 28-year-old Las Vegas man and a 29-year-old Henderson, Nevada, woman were stopped as they left their motel room.

Detectives found evidence linking all four to an alleged conspiracy and recovered the fragrances during searches of their vehicles, according to Welty. An Ulta representative valued the recovered merchandise at more than $16,000, and the items were returned to the company.

All four were booked into Ventura County Main Jail on suspicion of conspiracy to commit organized retail theft. Each posted $20,000 bail and was released.

According to jail records cited by the Ventura County Star, the younger pair is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 9, while the older pair is scheduled to appear on Monday, Oct. 12.

The investigation remains open and additional charges are possible, according to Welty's statements to the Camarillo Acorn.

Anyone with information can call the Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force at 805-383-8703 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Callers may remain anonymous.