Alleged thief caught stealing from Navy Exchange at Bangor

A woman is in jail after she allegedly stole computers from military stores and sold them online.

BANGOR — A woman is in jail after she allegedly stole computers from military stores and sold them online.

Lizabeth Perez, 27, of Duvall has been charged in Kitsap County District Court with third-degree retail theft with special circumstances.

Perez is accused of stealing electronics from the Navy Exchange on Naval Base Kitsap — Bangor. Her husband is mentioned in a Kitsap County Sheriff’s report on the incident, but has not been charged in Kitsap County in relation to the crime.

Perez would frequent the store, which caters to military personnel, with her husband who would pick out a computer and bring it to Perez to conceal, according to a report from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.

Perez was arrested on March 4 after the store’s loss prevention personnel detained her.

Personnel allegedly observed Perez’s husband take a Macbook computer from the shelf and bring it to her. She then reportedly put the Macbook in a basket with a wallet, and covered them with clothes.

Perez then allegedly took the basket into a changing room; when she exited the room, the computer and wallet were missing.

The sheriff’s report noted that while the items were missing from the basket, Perez’s large purse appeared more full.

Loss prevention personnel reportedly found three devices designed to remove security tags that are attached to electronic products, as well as aluminum foil, in her car.

Personnel told sheriff’s deputies that the computer was found wrapped in foil in Perez’s purse.

Perez reportedly admitted to deputies that she attempted to steal the computer and wallet, and also reportedly said that she and her husband had stolen two others recently — one from the Bangor store, and another from the Navy Exchange location at the Puget Sound Navy Shipyard.

The pair allegedly sold the computers on Craigslist for $700 and $1,200. Each computer was worth approximately $1,000 each.

Navy Exchange loss prevention personnel reviewed security footage from the stores, and reportedly found footage of Perez and her husband at both locations on March 20. Their movements were the same as the March 4 incident — taking computers off the shelf and entering a changing room. Both stores reportedly noticed an inventory loss of computers during this time.

Loss prevention personnel reported to deputies that the pair are also suspects in similar thefts at Navy Exchanges in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and in Everett.

As of April 10, Perez was listed on the Kitsap County Jail’s roster. A bond amount of $20,000 is listed.

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