Crime & Safety

Burlington Police Arrest Five Women in Shoplifting Crackdown

Burlington Police made five arrests Thursday at the Burlington Mall.

The Burlington Police arrested five females for shoplifting in two separate incidents on Thursday at the , the department said in a release today. The arrests were the result of a coordinated effort with security personnel and Burlington detectives in an effort to curb organized retail theft at the Mall.

According to police, the first incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. at . Detectives Al Gagne and Matt Leary arrested three females for Shoplifting by Asportation. They were identified as: Mellisa Lopes of Mattapan, Kristine Duarte of Boston, and Vanessa Rodriques of Quincy. A search of their vehicle resulted in the recovery of hundreds of dollars worth of stolen merchandise from area stores. Detectives are working with other agencies to identify the location of each store. Police believe these three individuals are members of an organized retail theft ring responsible for multiple thefts in the area.

Burlington Police later arrested two other females at approximately 6:15 p.m. after a theft from the store in the Mall. Officers Shane Thompson and Peter Abaskharoun arrested Zenaida Santiago of Haverhill and Miram Rodriguez of Lawrence for Shoplifting by Asportation. Santiago also had a warrant for shoplifting from Peabody District Court. All five were bailed and will be arraigned at Woburn District Court on Monday morning.

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