MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Police in Berkeley County arrested two of four people they say had been part of a retail theft ring that stole from stores over a 48-hour period in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.
That spree came to a halt for two of them in Martinsburg Wednesday night when Berkeley County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shoplifting complaint at the Target in the Retail Commons.
They were told to look for two Hispanic men and two Hispanic women who they say were involved with the theft, having left the store with “a large amount of merchandise” in a blue Nissan Rogue with a Florida plate.
Deputy Keller saw the vehicle at the intersection of Retail Commons Parkway and Apple Harvest Drive, reportedly heading toward the interstate.
The deputy attempted to pull them over as the vehicle was getting on the interstate northbound, but the driver continued up the road about a mile to the King Street exit. There, investigators say, the driver took the car through parking lots onto Viking Way and finally came to a stop in the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn. All four suspects got out and fled on foot.
Deputies arrested the driver, a man named Aleges Merabal, 49. Also arrested was a female passenger, identified as Hillarys Rodriguez, 28.
Both have been charged with one count each of Conspiracy, Grand Larceny, and Bringing Stolen Goods into the State.
Deputies say when they looked in the vehicle, the trunk was “full of Target merchandise,” valued at totaled $26,472.17 including a large amount of cosmetics and beauty products, clothing and other merchandise which were sent back to Target’s Loss Prevention department.