Diaper theft ring busted in Puyallup
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PUYALLUP, Wash. -- Say the words "organized retail theft" and you probably wouldn't think of diapers, but Puyallup police just nabbed three people accused of stealing diapers and detergent from area stores.
Investigators say a woman enters the store first, then 15 seconds later, the second woman enters.
"They are coming in separately so if one of them gets caught, the other can bail," said Det. Mike Lusk with Puyallup Police. "They look out for each other."
Police say they head for the Tide aisle, taking half a dozen or more. Next stop, the Huggies.
After loading the cart, the woman come back to the front without carts to survey the scene.
"The cart's already been prepared, no one's watching, she's going to grab the cart and go," Lusk said.
After the first woman leaves, a man police say is the getaway driver comes in to see if anyone noticed the first theft. He then allegedly signals and the second woman leaves.
The trio allegedly has taken Tide and Huggies five times in two weeks from a Puyallup Safeway and a WalMart in Port Orchard.
"What they told the officers was they were able to sell this stuff to mom-and-pop stores in Tacoma at half price," Lusk said.
This is not the first time Puyallup stores have been hit. Similar thieves struck in April too.
"Organized retail theft is definitely the theme right now, it's what we are seeing out there right now," said Capt. Scott Engle with Puyallup Police. "Yes it may be big stores but I can guarantee you it is happening in small stores as well and the message for stores big and small is be alert."
Police say they arrested all 3 in the Puyallup and Port Orchard thefts last week. One of those arrested told them she had a $300 a day drug habit.
Investigators say a woman enters the store first, then 15 seconds later, the second woman enters.
"They are coming in separately so if one of them gets caught, the other can bail," said Det. Mike Lusk with Puyallup Police. "They look out for each other."
Police say they head for the Tide aisle, taking half a dozen or more. Next stop, the Huggies.
After loading the cart, the woman come back to the front without carts to survey the scene.
"The cart's already been prepared, no one's watching, she's going to grab the cart and go," Lusk said.
After the first woman leaves, a man police say is the getaway driver comes in to see if anyone noticed the first theft. He then allegedly signals and the second woman leaves.
The trio allegedly has taken Tide and Huggies five times in two weeks from a Puyallup Safeway and a WalMart in Port Orchard.
"What they told the officers was they were able to sell this stuff to mom-and-pop stores in Tacoma at half price," Lusk said.
This is not the first time Puyallup stores have been hit. Similar thieves struck in April too.
"Organized retail theft is definitely the theme right now, it's what we are seeing out there right now," said Capt. Scott Engle with Puyallup Police. "Yes it may be big stores but I can guarantee you it is happening in small stores as well and the message for stores big and small is be alert."
Police say they arrested all 3 in the Puyallup and Port Orchard thefts last week. One of those arrested told them she had a $300 a day drug habit.
Enough stores have cameras. When they capture video of a thief coming out, they need to display the pic and offer rewards for the identification of these lovely individuals. Or even better, have a display monitor in the store that people can look at if they want that rotates the pics and/or videos.Â
Before you know it, we are going to have to start showing our receipts when leaving any store, not just Costco. And there will be armed guards at all entrances and exits. This country is going to hell in a hand basket.
 @Bianca It all started going downhill when they put the packs of cigarettes inside locked cages....
Man - I've got pay more attention to how they do these scams - it would be easier than a part time job - LOL. Sheesh, more losers every day. Where's that Big L branding iron of mine? ;)
I am glad these jerks get caught, they have to know there are cameras everywhere! Â Or maybe not.
I can't help chuckling at the memory of Nicholas Cage in Raising Arizona, with pantyhose on his head, robbing a clerk, waving a gun and saying, 'I'll take whatever cash you got, and these here Huggies."
poor people are desperate but drug addicts are plan crazy doing anything to get money to feed a habit...
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It seems they should have used some of those diapers to cover their own butt a little more
Ghetto trash!!!
The Police could actually arrest the owners of these small stores as well for buying stolen property.
Not traceable.
 @beakyboy Unless that packages have been opened, SKU numbers should provide lots of information about the product.
@mstipton I was just thinking the same thing. They have to know it's stolen.
 @Anarchy  @mstipton As well as flea markets, etc. Police need to ask for invoices as soon as they see new product for sale at flea markets and swap meets, especially at steep discounts. Charge them with receiving stolen property. They HAVE to know. Charge their customers, too. They HAVE to know, or should.
 @Thomas Golliher  @Anarchy  @mstipton In the US a person does not have to tell an officer any more more than their name and date of birth.  And even that has been questioned recently.  What your asking is for the police to start questioning people that they suspect  have done something wrong and have no prof. That is not a country I want to live in. I don't like theft and will protect my property from thieves but I don't want to have to protect myself from the government as well.
Wow. now that's organized.
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Uh, if you're going to risk hard time, try going for high value items or the payroll. Then you can buy the diapers AND a Humvee.
$300 a day drug habit. 'Nuff said!
I don't think they will get two ply in jail!
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 @Molon Labe what's pathetic is that we are in the 21 century and morons like you still feel the disgusting need to be ignorant and racist. Get over yourself and move out of Washington if you are so disappointed. I feel sorry for people like you......must be a miserable life to have to be so hateful.
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 @WhatRJDid   No they didn't.  I still see them here in WA state.  There are two kinds of food stamps that I see, the SNAP/Quest "debit' cards, and TANF paper checks. Those still need to be signed, etc.  We are not the only state that still uses them either - although I will grant that most states are trying to drop the paper entirely and move to the cards.
 @Truth Percolates  @andiec16  @Molon Labe  Wow, when did your "friend" say this food stamp story happened? Because actual food stamps in the form of paper stopped being used in the mid 90's.
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There are anecdotes of trashy people of every race. But you've decided to tell a couple about one race. One of which I'm quite certain you made up or held on to for nearly 20 years.
 @Truth Percolates  @Molon Labe Untouchable? Only because of the confusion that the all-high Gods of Political-Correctness have brainwashed many of the unfortunate people of our Nation with. This is a Clear And Present Danger that grows by the hour and people need to wake up....
 @andiec16 Yeah, well, what IF... HE'S RIGHT???
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What then?
 @Ben Ezzell Yeah, well... Mr. Insult-a-tron, you didn't bother to answer the question: what IF he's RIGHT?
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WHAT THEN?
 @TheTruncheon  @andiec16 Want to buy an umbrella ... for protection against pig feces? No, guess not ... you're spewing enough of that all by yourself.
A $300 a day drug habit supported by stolen diapers. That is testimony to a sad individual.
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 @I Like Meat You didn't actually read the article, did you?
 @I Like Meat Did you even READ the article??? Apparently not as the diapers aren't for their own kids, they sell the diapers to get drug money!
0:18 "may be stealing diiiapers" wtf was that?? hahaha
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 @Wickedwitch That is the dumbest thing I've seen here all week, and you have some serious competition. "I saw a small store owner rob someone, so all small store owners are robbers".
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More crap comin' out of you than a diaper.
 @Bellevue Scott Some people need to wear diapers over their mouths...
 @Bellevue Scott  @Wickedwitch Not to mention that whatever story these people tell the Mom & Pop's they sell to may be good enough that M&P may think are totally legit sales!
 @Commenter87643 Would think these mom & pop stores know about these grocery outlets and be shopping there themselves instead of getting these things from someone who just walks in offering to sell them Tide or diapers, I think I would be a bit on guard of that, for all we know the M & P stores were in on it, not saying they were, but for cryin out loud they have to be smarter than that, they are running a business, they know where to get their goods, or do they?
 @Willow  @Bellevue Scott  @Wickedwitch Except, haven't you ever seen how much cheaper you can get things at places like grocery outlet? And often it's just because there's a barely noticable error on the packaging. So I think it wouldn't be too hard to convince people looking for a deal that it's the same kind of deal. Error in the packaging means great savings for you!
 @Commenter87643  @Bellevue Scott  @Wickedwitch I think if some individuals come trying to sell you items at a significantly lower price than you can order through legitimate channels, you would have to know it is stolen merchandise.
They will get lotsa huggies in prison
If the mom and pop stores knew what they were doing I hope they to are in trouble. I am a big supporter of mom and pop stores but if I know of one that helped or knew about any crimes like this, I would no longer support that one.
Man, that's a lot of Tide and Huggies to steal to maintain a $300 a day drug habit. Hey, now she can get clean for free in jail! Have fun with the withdrawls, nitwit!
 @Tattooed_Angel Have you seen the cost of these items lately? they are higher than a cats back....
Don't pamper these criminals!
 @cheekygesturton Aww but they LUVS their drugs, and now they're going to find time to deal with their crap!
@yentaleh @cheekygesturton They're the victims here! They obviously didn't get enough Huggies!
 @DudeAbides  @yentaleh  @cheekygesturton I was trying to find a way to use HUGGIES in the sentence, but couldn't come up with anything. Good show DudeAbides :)
hummm do u think this might cause prices to rise? no, i dident say the prices right!
 @maggie112 ?????
 @maggie112 I haven't seen anything you've said that seemed right.
Don't ya all remember that show where three people ran around the store shopping for like 30 seconds or something, I can't remember the name of it? It was from the 80s or 90s, my mom watched it all the time. Anyway, everybody knows those are big ticket items - diapers and laundry soap. They can be sold on the black market for 50% cost. I bet these people that buy them also buy peoples food stamp cards at half price. The black market is alive and well.
 @alildifferent There was a TV show called Supermarket Sweep in the 60s, where the contestants had some small amount of time to fill a cart as full as they could - they got to keep whatever they loaded up in that time - they all seemed to go for steaks
@Smartypants @alildifferent I liked that show. After the meat aisle they took off for the soap and diapers too.
 @alildifferent lol yes i do,, but that paid for the costs
 @alildifferent Supermarket Sweep. Started in the 60's, but was redone when you said in the early 90s.