TULALIP, Wash. — Alleged thieves were seen stuffing perfume into bags and walking out in broad daylight Tuesday. It happened at Perfume Outlet at the Seattle Premium Outlets.
Employees told KIRO 7 that three people walked into the store and brazenly filled bags with merchandise.
“Just to let you know, you are on video,” said employee Chloe Stewart, as she recorded them.
None of the individuals showed any reaction to her comment on the video.
Tulalip police told KIRO 7 that they won’t comment on ongoing investigations, so KIRO 7 has blurred their faces until police can confirm the details.
Stewart said she knew recording the incident was the best option she had.
“You never know what these people have,” she said. “You never know if they’re armed. You never know if they’re going to come to you next.”
The group made out with about $2,500 worth of perfume, employees said.
The store just opened a few weeks ago, according to Stewart. She says it’s not the first time she’s experienced retail theft. At a prior job at a big-box beauty retailer, she said, “This happened every single week.”
Retail experts have reported a surge in organized theft across the country over the last decade.
In Tulalip, cases of theft, burglary, and stolen property all dropped last year, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
For employees, one incident is too many.
“Coming into work today was a little bit hard, because I was struggling,” said employee Jewel Brown. “I was stressed and I was anxious. I was like, ‘What could happen?’”
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