Group stole perfume before leading New Braunfels police on chase

3 people arrested, 1 man still sought

From left, Kelley Flood, Stephen Soto and Lacie Hollinshead (New Braunfels Police Department)

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – A group of people is accused of stealing $1,600 worth of perfume and cologne from a Belk department store in New Braunfels, police said Tuesday.

Stephen Alexander Soto, of San Antonio, Lacie Nicole Hollinshead, of Schertz, and Kelley Anne Flood, of Cibolo, all face charges. They’re being held at the Comal County Jail.

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About 6 p.m. Monday, officers with the New Braunfels Police Department were called to the 200 block of Creekside Way to investigate reports of a theft in progress, according to a news release from officers.

Loss prevention staffers said two men and two women were working together to steal the merchandise by hiding it in the women’s purses, police said.

As police officers headed over, the group tried to leave the store, but loss prevention staffers intervened.

One of the women dropped the stolen cologne and perfume and ran away with one of the men -- while the other two suspects tried to take off in the opposite direction, police said.

A store employee chased the group and caught up with one of the men, and the man assaulted the loss prevention worker, the news release said.

A woman was able to reach a car, a gray Volvo S40, and she drove up to the scene of the fight between the store employee and the man. She was trying to help the male suspect escape, police said.

A New Braunfels officer arrived as this was happening, and the woman sped away.

The officer chased the car and got the woman to pull over in a far corner of the parking lot, where she was arrested.

Other officers arrived a short time later and helped with the arrests.

Soto, 19, was charged with robbery, which is a second-degree felony. His bond was set at $15,000. Hollinshead, 20, faces the same charge, along with counts to include evading arrest and detention in a vehicle. Her bond was set at $20,000.

A short time later, an officer saw the two remaining suspects as they walked into the Creekside Cinema movie theater. The officer arrested the woman but the man ran away, through the theater building, and he hasn’t been caught yet.

Flood was charged with robbery and failure to identify. Her bond was set at $17,000.

Further arrests and charges might be pending, police said.

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