Trio accused of stealing more than $2,500 worth of merchandise at Aventura Mall

Suspects caught on camera shoplifting from PINK, Urban Outfitters, police say

AVENTURA, Fla. – A trio of women is accused of stealing more than $2,500 worth of merchandise from stores at the Aventura Mall this week.

According to an arrest report, Altoneka Bush, 27, Dontoria Bennett, 22, and Lakeria Dennard, 22, were captured on surveillance cameras concealing merchandise at a Victoria's Secret PINK store Wednesday.

Police said the women approached the register, claiming that they entered the store with the items but did not have a receipt and wanted a cash refund.

Police said the cashier refused to give them cash back because they did not have a receipt, so the women became loud and started to claim that employees were being racist toward them.

The store manager eventually gave the women the cash to avoid any additional issues, authorities said.

According to the arrest report, the trio left the store with the cash and were seen entering a silver Saturn outside the mall.

Police said the women stayed inside the car for several minutes before returning to the mall through Bloomingdales.

Police said the thieves went to Urban Outfitters, where they purchased a couple items.

While leaving the store, the shoplifting sensor alarms went off, at which time one of the suspects who had purchased items stopped and went to a nearby employee to show her the merchandise, while the other two suspects continued to walk out the store with concealed merchandise, authorities said.

Police said the trio then left the mall in the Saturn, but were stopped by Aventura police officers who had been monitoring the women.

The thieves were still in the process of pulling stolen merchandise out of their pants as officers were conducting the traffic stop, authorities said. 

Police said more than $1,500 worth of stolen merchandise from PINK was recovered and more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from Urban Outfitters was recovered.

According to the arrest report, officers also found Dennard and Bennett each in possession of a counterfeit Green Dot card.

Two Florida driver's licenses belonging to other women were also found in Bennett's wallet, the report stated.

Police are investigating to determine whether the IDs were used to conduct the fraudulent refunds.

The suspects were arrested on charges of grand theft and dealing in stolen property. Dennard and Bennett also face charges of forgery of a credit card. They were all issued trespass orders from the Aventura Mall for three years. 

 

 


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Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.