Thief had an eye for fine lingerie

By Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

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They left the sports bras and the full-coverage bras, opting instead for the sexy, lacy little numbers — 150 of them — in an illicit pre-Valentine's Day shopping spree at Victoria's Secret.

A shoplifter or shoplifters helped themselves to about $5,400 worth of demi-cup and push-up bras in various styles and sizes from the lingerie franchise in the Bellevue Square Shopping Center on Sunday, said Bellevue police spokesman Michael Chiu.

The store manager told police they were short-handed that day and staff members were busy serving an influx of customers — so busy they asked officers to come back Monday to investigate the theft, Chiu said.

Sometime between 3:50 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., employees noticed that storage drawers under display racks at the front of the store had been raided. No one saw anything suspicious, but the location of the storage drawers seems to have made for an easy getaway, Chiu said.

Last year, the same store was hit twice by shoplifters who seem to prefer stealing in bulk. On March 23, 300 pairs of women's panties were swiped from four display tables, including one next to the cash register. Estimated loss: $5,000. Six days later, 161 bras worth about $4,830 were stolen from storage drawers at the front of the store, Chiu said. Police have no suspects, he said.

"I'm sure they were stolen for resale," Chiu said of the missing bras, speculating they could soon pop up on eBay, the online auction site. Unfortunately, he said, police don't have the time or resources to track the thieves' online transactions.

From a shoplifter's perspective, stealing sexy underwear has its advantages: Stolen bras and panties "are very difficult to trace, they're small items that can be hidden easily," and they can be resold for significant profit, Chiu said.

"Shoplifters look at the ease of stealing items, the ease of selling items and staffing levels at stores," he said. If the Bellevue Victoria's Secret was understaffed and teeming with customers, "obviously that makes them an easier mark," Chiu said.

Anthony Hebron, a spokesman for Limited Brands, the Columbus, Ohio-based parent company of Victoria's Secret, said company officials are working with Bellevue police. He declined to answer questions about store security or the frequency of shoplifting at Victoria's Secret stores.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com

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