A supposed organized retail theft ring was disrupted on Monday in Lake Worth after a brief police chase resulted in two arrests and one suspect remaining at large.
Two siblings, Dexter and Destiny Goynes, are currently being held at Tarrant County Jail.
The Lake Worth Police Department (LWPD) alleged that the duo (and an accomplice) stole more than $2,000 worth of merchandise. The haul included dozens of scented candles from a single local retailer in Lake Worth, police announced in a Twitter post.
Destiny is charged with evading arrest and one count of organized retail theft. The 22-year-old is being held on two $1,000 bonds. Her brother, Dexter is charged with evading arrest with a vehicle and one count of organized retail theft. The 19-year-old’s bond is a combined $12,500, according to jail records.
Officers intercepted the Goynes siblings and their accomplice as they were allegedly trying to make their escape from the store in a vehicle. A brief police chase, which lasted only a few minutes, ended when the suspects got into a crash. Destiny Goynes was arrested at the scene while her brother and their alleged accomplice fled on foot, according to Fox Business.
LWPD caught up with Dexter Goynes after a good samaritan spotted him.
“2 of 3 suspects are now in custody thanks to the watchful eye of a Lake Worth citizen! When we work together, our community is safer,” posted LWPD on Twitter, above a photograph of Dexter being taken into custody.
The unidentified suspect remains at large as of Thursday.
While some on social media mocked the ordeal, making light of an organized candle crime ring, LWPD Chief J.T. Manoushagian sounded off on Twitter the day of the arrests:
“You may be wondering… ‘You sure are making a big deal about some three wick candles.’ Here’s why — theft (specifically retail theft) is the #1 crime committed in our community with millions in combined corporate losses annually. So when a theft occurs, we take it seriously. We will not turn a blind eye to any crime, & we sure won’t allow our community to be a place where lawlessness is accepted.”
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, organized retail theft has made itself felt as a prime driver in losses over the last couple of years, costing companies billions of dollars nationwide.
Thefts and other property crimes have been high in North Texas, especially in Dallas, where Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot’s short-lived prosecutorial amnesty policy for thefts under $750 may have led to an increase in larceny.
Chief Manoushagian fired off another Tweet on Wednesday, possibly hinting at a broader network at play in the scented candle operation:
“I know it sounds funny, but this is so much bigger than candles, and it’s affecting communities all across our country. Crimes like these generate massive amounts of revenue for large criminal organization[s], and it’s in everyone’s best interest for local police to stop it.”