(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. – Two Chicago women were charged Tuesday in connection with a pair of retail thefts last summer that targeted national clothing stores at the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets.
Criminal complaints filed in Kenosha County Circuit Court accuse 26-year-old Brianna M. Cotton and 30-year-old Nikhyra C. Steele of stealing more than $7,400 in merchandise from the True Religion store on May 30, 2024, and an additional $310 in goods from Nike on June 13, 2024.
Each woman is charged with one felony count of retail theft and one misdemeanor count of retail theft as parties to a crime. Court Commissioner William Michel II authorized arrest warrants Tuesday and set cash bond at $5,000 for each defendant.
According to Pleasant Prairie police, surveillance footage captured the two women entering True Religion with two other unidentified suspects. The group allegedly staged merchandise near the front of the store, then grabbed the items and ran out without paying. Store managers said the total loss exceeded $7,400.
Investigators say the same group visited several other stores, including Adidas and Nike, and were observed on security cameras moving between shops and vehicles during their time at the outlet mall. After attempting to take items from Nike earlier that day, the women reportedly returned two weeks later and successfully stole shoes and apparel worth just over $300.
That same afternoon, Chicago police arrested Steele and Cotton following a similar retail theft at a Lululemon store in the city. The suspects were identified through video footage and distinctive tattoos, piercings, and clothing that matched earlier reports from Pleasant Prairie.
Authorities allege Steele later attempted to resell some of the stolen True Religion merchandise on Facebook. Police from Pleasant Prairie, Gurnee, and Chicago collaborated on the investigation, tracking the suspects through surveillance footage and license plate readers.
If convicted, both women face up to six years in prison on the felony count and up to nine months on the misdemeanor charge. As of Tuesday evening, both remained at large.
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One Response
Insert standard retail theft suspect description here.