2 Adults, 4 Juveniles Accused By MoCo Police Of Targeting 80 Stores

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Two adults and four juveniles suspected of using the “pack theft” tactic to steal merchandise from several stores in Montgomery County have been arrested, police said Thursday.

The six suspects, all from D.C., are accused of entering retail stores in groups and stealing large amounts of items from 11 Montgomery County stores between April 28 and June 15. The six are also suspects in pack thefts in Anne Arundel County, according to the Montgomery County Police Department.

The six are suspects in more than 80 thefts of stores altogether, police said.

One company, Ulta Beauty, reported losses in Montgomery County and other D.C. area jurisdictions totaling $78,000 from the string of thefts by the suspects, according to police. The suspects are also accused of stealing from CVS, with an estimated loss of more than $22,000, and Macy’s, which lost $24,000, police said.

During each of the thefts, the suspects used vehicles that were stolen or carjacked from D.C., according to police.

One of the two adults, 28-year-old Shaquille Pittman, is being held without bond. He is accused of stealing from Target on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda on April 29, Ulta in the Congressional Shopping Center in Rockville on May 8 and June 15, Sephora in the Pike and Rose area of North Bethesda on May 31, and The Nike Store on Arlington Road in Bethesda on June 8.

The second adult, 21-year-old Regina Christmas, Pittman’s sister, is accused of stealing from the same stores on the same dates as her brother, as well as from Sephora on Western Avenue in Bethesda on June 1, police said.

On July 19, police said Christmas had turned herself in after an arrest warrant was issued for thefts that she is alleged to have committed between April 28 and June 15. Christmas was initially arrested for the crimes on June 21, but was subsequently released in Washington, D.C., police said. She is currently being held without bond.

As for pack thefts in Anne Arundel County, police said they are unable to confirm that the suspects arrested by Montgomery County police are suspects in any retail theft cases currently under investigation in Anne Arundel County. Police in Anne Arundel County said there do not appear to be any current arrest warrants in the county for Pittman or Christmas.

The juvenile suspects in the Montgomery County cases range in age from 13 to 17. Pittman and a 13-year-old suspect were arrested on June 15 after stealing from the Ulta store in Rockville. Two 16-year-olds were arrested on July 5 and July 12, and a 17-year-old was arrested on June 28.

One of the juvenile suspects is also connected to multiple armed robberies and carjackings, police said.

The Montgomery County retail thefts linked to the suspects, according to police, include:

• April 28: Sephora (7 suspects), Western Ave. in Bethesda
• April 29: Target (7 suspects), Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda
• May 5: Target (3 suspects), Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda
• May 5: Sephora (3 suspects), Western Ave. in Bethesda
• May 8: Ulta (8 suspects), Congressional Shopping Center in Rockville
• May 9: Target (3 suspects), Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda
• May 31: Sephora (4 suspects), Pike and Rose in North Bethesda
• June 1: Sephora (4 suspects), Western Ave. in Bethesda
• June 1: Nike (4 suspects), Arlington Rd. in Bethesda
• June 8: Nike (3 suspects), Arlington Rd. in Bethesda
• June 15: Ulta (4 suspects), Congressional Shopping Center in Rockville