CITY OF THOUSAND OAKS
POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS STORY
www.VCSD.org
Nature of Incident: Arrest of Mother/Daughter Team – The Panty Bandit Crew
Report Number: 18-10840
Location: Victoria’s Secret, 248 Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, Ca
Date & Time: 10/4/17; 11/1/17; 1/13/18; 1/20/18; 2/10/18; 2/11/18
Unit Responsible: Thousand Oaks Police Investigations Bureau
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent City of Residence Age
Partida, Melissa Susana (Daughter), Los Angeles, 19
Perez, Maria Karina (Mother), Los Angeles, 38
Juvenile, Los Angeles, 15
Narrative:
Since October 4, 2017, Victoria’s Secret stores have seen a steep increase in organized retail theft from their Oxnard and Thousand Oaks locations. In the last 4 months, they have been hit by theft crews on 5 separate occasions with a total loss of $14,989.00. Each of the incidents were captured on surveillance video. In each case, three suspects would fill a baby stroller with stolen merchandise. Once filled, one suspect would distract the sales staff while the other two suspects pushed the stroller out of the store.
Detectives from the Thousand Oaks Police Department worked with Victoria’s Secret Loss Prevention and were able to identify two of the suspects as Maria Perez and her daughter Melissa Partida. Victoria’s Secret Loss Prevention estimates the two are responsible for approximately $250,000 in theft from their stores throughout California since 2016.
During the weekend of February, 10, 2018, Thousand Oaks Detectives learned Partida and Perez travelled to the Bay Area in Northern California and were committing similar crimes at Victoria’s Secret stores and various other retailers. On February 11, 2018, detectives intercepted the suspects in Castaic, California as they were attempting to return home. Detective’s located stolen property in the vehicle from Victoria’s Secret and several other retailers. Partida, Perez, and a female juvenile were arrested for burglary. Detectives later reviewed surveillance footage from the Bay Area stores which showed the three suspects using the same tactic of loading a stroller with property then walking out without paying for the merchandise.
Partida and Perez were arrested for violations of Penal Code 459 – Commercial Burglary, Penal Code Section 182(a)(1) – Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. Partida was also arrested for two violations of Penal Code Section 272(a)(1) – Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. The juvenile was arrested for two violations of Penal Code Section 459 – Commercial Burglary.
The investigation into this crew is ongoing by various agencies in California.
Prepared by: Detective Jason Louis
Media Release Date: 8/4/17
Media Follow-Up Contact: Detective Tim Lohman, [email protected] , (805) 947-8255
Approved by: Captain Bill Schierman
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
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