POCONO TOWNSHIP -- Police tell us two women walked into a high-end store and stole more than $8,000 worth of designer purses, but they were caught after officers chased them.
That theft happened at the Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville. In the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle, two women from New York swiped thousand of dollars of Michael Kors handbags and took off.
A smashed up SUV and two arrests is how a major retail theft ended Monday night along Interstate 380 in the Poconos.
Police arrested Equisha Allison, 24, and Ida Hodge, 20, of Syracuse New York after they swiped $8,000 worth of designer purses from the Michael Kors Outlet at the Crossings in Tannersville.
"I do know that it was quick. It was by the doors, located conveniently for the shoppers and it makes it easy to grab and run,” said Pocono Township Police Chief Ken Werkheiser.
Fifteen handbags in total were taken. Typically they retail for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars per bag.
"Michael Kors is very high-end right now and everyone wants it, every girl wants it under their tree this Christmas,” said Lucrita Rooney of Long Pond.
Rooney owns a Michael Kors handbag and shops at the outlets. This theft has her shaken.
"Somebody's stealing that kind of high-end product, it doesn't make you feel safe,” said Rooney.
Workers at the store got a description of Hodge and Allison’s SUV and troopers spotted the women on Interstate380 near Gouldsboro.
Troopers attempted to pull them over. Instead, they kept going and then crashed.
Police aren't sure why these two women from New York targeted the outlets in Tannersville, but they believe it could be because of its easy access to the interstate.
"You think about how far they had to travel from Syracuse to get to here. I mean there had to be plenty of exits with shopping malls on the way,” said Chief Werkheiser.
Others wonder with all of the holiday hustle if these "grinches" were just taking advantage of the crowd.
"There's a lot of volume that's going down there so there may not be enough security there in order to monitor all of those people so that may have been an opportunity for them,” said Brian Gerba of Scotrun.
Both women are locked up on $10,000 cash bail in Monroe County.
They’re facing several charges including theft, criminal conspiracy, and fleeing from officers. Ida Hodge was also wanted on other warrants as well.
