More Underwear Taken From Victoria's Secret

Jeff Rowe

Stephanie Salter

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Franklin police said a group of thieves took $40,000 worth of merchandise from a Victoria's Secret store two days after a similar crime in Murfreesboro.

The theft happened at the CoolSprings Galleria Thursday.

Murfreesboro police said $4,000 worth of bras and panties were stolen from a Victoria's Secret store in the Stones River Mall Tuesday.

"Everybody wants Victoria's Secret," said a shopper Friday. "If your panties aren't name brand, they're nothing."

"They didn't know the merchandise was gone until the suspects had left the store," said Jeff Rowe, a Franklin detective.

Rowe said someone probably scouted the store for days before the heist.

"They were probably looking for times of the day where they know that they're going to be particularly busy," Rowe said. "It's probably not just with Victoria's Secret. It's probably with other stores within the mall. They've done their homework."

Initially the store reported a $19,000 loss until employees did an inventory and discovered that the loss is around $35,000 to $40,000, Rowe said.

The amount is surprising to shoppers such as Stephanie Salter.

"What do you put it in? How many pairs of panties is that?" Salter said. "Because you know they're 5 for $25, right."

"That's a lot of pieces of merchandise to get out, but because of the size of the merchandise they say it would take about four shopping bags to remove it from the store," Rowe said.

The crimes occurred right before the big holiday shopping season begins.

"Any time you can get something under retail price, there's going to be a market for it," Rowe said.

Franklin police said it's too early to tell if the suspects are the same ones who robbed the Murfreesboro store.

Police believe the suspects are two women and two men - all in their twenties.

Stores in four other states reported similar robberies this week.