From Lipstick To Lockup: Beauty Thieves Busted With $10K In Stolen Goods

A trail of stolen beauty products was traced from the South Bay to a suspected fence in the East Bay and almost $10,000 in stockpiled loot, law enforcement officials say. Two people have been arrested thanks to an investigative partnership between the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and the California Highway Patrol. “What started as a $5,000 Ulta Beauty heist in the City of Cupertino turned into a full-blown organized retail crime investigation,” the Sheriff’s Office said Saturday on social media. The investigation turned up stolen goods from Ulta Beauty, Target, CVS, Walgreens, TJ Maxx and Sally Beauty “worth nearly $10,000 and counting,” the Sheriff’s Office said. The investigation uncovered the stolen goods in a home on West Court and a storage unit on San Leandro Street. “They took the makeup,” the Sheriff’s Office said, “but couldn’t cover their tracks.” Ivan Espinoza, 33, and Claudia Barragan, 41, of Oakland, are accused of organized retail theft, receiving stolen property, and conspiracy, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Three more people are being sought.