Two arrested for multiple thefts at Mayfair

Two people - one an employee and one a patron - were arrested for repeated thefts at stores in Mayfair Mall in separate incidents over the past week.

According to Wauwatosa police:

The first arrest came March 8 at Abercrombie & Fitch, when a 20-year-old Milwaukee man who worked for there set off the theft alarm when he left for the night. He had a bag with two pairs of jeans and a leather jacket, which still had the security tag on it. Since store policy stipulates all employee purchases had to be rung up by a manager, his boss was suspicious.

It soon was determined that he had taken 67 items, valued at $3,437, since Dec. 1. He told officers that he had been selling the items to friends for cash to help his out-of-work parents make ends meet.

In an unrelated incident, a 33-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested for retail theft after she tried to return dresses she had just pulled from the sales floor at Macy's at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday.

Store staff suspected her of making 34 suspicious returns without receipts - each time for $200 to $600 store credit - during the past eight months. One of those returns had been made the prior day.

This time, she selected six dresses and went into the fitting room, then headed to the register with two of them, valued at $385. When a security guard approached, she ran through the store. She was stopped but again got away and continued to run until she was finally detained.

She said she was stealing because times were tough and she had no job, but officers noted she was driving a Lexus.