Five accused serial underwear thieves from Baltimore are behind bars after finally getting caught in Pennsylvania.
James Griffin, of Randallstown, and Twanika Greer, James McCarter, Justin Inman and Lyric McLaughlin, all of Baltimore, were arrested May 19 after they allegedly broke into two Victoria’s Secret stores at the Lebanon Valley and Berkshire malls, according to the Lebanon Daily News.
Police said all five of them entered the Lebanon Valley Mall store and threw 88 garments — valued at nearly $3,700 — into garbage bags.
But apparently, they wanted more. Allentown-based WFMZ-TV reports four of them went into another Victoria’s Secret in Wyomissing, Pa., and filled bags up with another $3,000 or so worth of merchandise. (Inman was reportedly sitting in the getaway car outside.) When employees confronted them in the case, McLaughlin allegedly threatened them with pepper spray or pushed.
Their getaway from the Berkshire Mall didn’t go quite as well. Police chased them down and caught all five of them after they hopped out and tried to run away. A couple were hiding under decks, the TV station reported.
The alleged thieves now await preliminary hearings later this month and are being held in the Berks County Jail on $750,000 bail. Their charges range from robbery and retail theft to conspiracy and, in the case of Inman, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
Authorities believe they’re responsible for stealing heaps more underpants up and down the East Coast – around $300,000 worth in all, by their estimate.
