TUCSON, Ariz. — Three people are facing criminal charges after they were allegedly involved in stealing over $74,000 in merchandise from Target stores across the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
Starting on March 16, a trio of suspects began stealing a large amount of cosmetics and skin-care products from Target stores in the East Valley. Store surveillance footage shows the suspects dumping large quantities of products into a plastic bin, covering the bin with clothing items, then walking out of the Target store.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Hay 3 arrestados por presuntamente robar $74,000 en mercancía de las tiendas Target en Mesa y Tucson
By March 27, the suspects had allegedly stolen $35,000 worth of stolen goods from Target.
The Tucson Police Department was notified by Target that the suspects may be traveling from Phoenix to Tucson to commit more thefts. When Tucson police was receiving this information, the trio had already stolen $18,500 worth of merchandise from three local stores.
Tucson police officers were dispatched to a Target store near 22nd Street and Old Spanish Trail where they allegedly observed the trio arriving at the store and stealing $6,000 in cosmetics. After leaving the Target, officers conducted a traffic stop and took the three individuals into custody on March 27.
The trio was connected to at least 12 retails thefts in Arizona and police returned the stolen goods to Target.
The suspects have been identified as Dorinta Velcu, 27, Franchesca Traila, 21, and a 16-year-old girl. The women were booked into jail and the teenager was cited and released.
Tucson police said the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be filed.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.