A pair of Philadelphia women were arrested Wednesday afternoon after they allegedly stole $2,800 in perfume from the Kohls in Hatfield Township, then fled the scene on foot to a nearby McDonald’s.
Ajia Ross, 20, and Nashyah Cooper-Long, 20, have both been charged with felony conspiracy counts of retail theft and evading arrest, in connection with the June 14 incident. Cooper-Long is free on $2,500 unsecured bail, and Ross is being held at the county jail on a probation detainer, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, Hatfield Township Police were dispatched to the 2300 block of Welsh Road at 2:43 p.m. for a report of a retail theft. Store staff informed police that two women — later identified as Ross and Cooper-Long — had stolen numerous bottles of perfume then fled the scene on foot towards the McDonald’s in the same shopping center.
The women were described as wearing paper face masks, with one wearing a pink coat, the report states.
Arriving police drove to the McDonald’s, where they immediately saw the two women inside of the store, police said. Upon seeing the police vehicle, Ross and Cooper-Long allegedly went into the restroom together, then abandoned two bags containing the stolen items and fled the scene as police entered the building, according to charging documents.
Both women were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit towards Welsh Road, and both were positively identified by store personnel once in custody, police said.
The total value of the stolen perfume was $2,822.78, the report states.
Both Ross and Cooper-Long had one prior retail theft arrest at the time of the incident, and both refused to speak with investigators after being taken into custody, police said.
Court records show both women were arraigned the following morning, and their next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on June 28 at 2:30 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Woman Accused of Forging Checks from Elderly Man at Chalfont Senior Living Community
2 Men Accused of Stealing Copper Pipes and Wires from Former Bennigan’s Location on Bethlehem Pike
Harleysville Woman Arrested for Stealing from Walmart, Wawa, and Royal Farms, Police Say
