BELLEVUE, Wash. — Four suspects of organized retail thefts at Nordstrom in Bellevue Square Mall made their first court appearances Wednesday.
The suspects, 25-year-old Larae Hamim, 24-year-old Joanna Fernandez, 19-year-old Reality Leavens and 27-year-old Taladra Swan, were arrested in December after an extensive investigation by the Bellevue Police Department.
All four suspects pleaded not guilty in King County Superior Court to several charges of second-degree organized retail theft. They are not in custody at this time.
According to the Bellevue Police Department, the suspects were involved in a series of incidents at the Bellevue mall between September and November 2023, which included the theft of designer sunglasses valued at approximately $20,000.
A Bellevue detective and members of the department's special enforcement team investigated the incidents in collaboration with Nordstrom and a security company.
On November 30, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office testified before the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on retail crime.
"There is a real human impact to these offenses. I consistently hear from retailers how much of a toll retail crime takes on their staff who express how demoralizing it is to be unable to stop these offenders. Anecdotally, we are hearing from retailers that they are seeing an increase in violence during retail crimes. This puts both store employees and customers at risk," Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Nicole Lawson testified. "Retail crime affects both large corporate retailers and Mom & Pop stores and has serious impacts on our community and the residents of Washington."
A recent Forbes study revealed Washington state is most impacted by retail theft and saw a 24% rise in larceny thefts from 2019 to 2022.