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2d ago

League City Arrest Ties Houston Woman to $400K Organized Retail Theft

Investigators say automated vehicle cameras helped link thefts across multiple jurisdictions with further arrests expected

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What started as a reported theft at a League City Sephora grew into a multijurisdictional investigation that police say uncovered a sprawling retail theft operation. A Sephora store is shown in 2023. 
League City police uncovered a major organized retail theft operation after responding to a shoplifting report at a Sephora inside Kohl’s, leading to the recovery of over $400,000 in stolen goods and the arrest of Claudia Ivonne Higuera-Torres.

Overview

  • The probe began after a shoplifting report at the Sephora inside Kohl’s in League City on July 12 and quickly expanded into a regional investigation.
  • Police arrested 52-year-old Claudia Ivonne Higuera-Torres on Tuesday and charged her with first-degree organized retail theft.
  • A judge set Higuera-Torres’s bond at $150,000 but denied her release after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer.
  • League City’s Business District Unit said investigators recovered more than $400,000 in stolen goods — an estimated 15,000-plus items taken from about 15 stores.
  • Authorities credited Flock Safety automated vehicle cameras and multi-agency cooperation for key leads, said the investigation is ongoing, and warned more arrests and charges are likely while retailers and workers cope with the impact of organized retail crime.