PUBLIC SAFETY

Two women stole $5,000 of “fragrances” from beauty store, police say

Salem police arrested two women they say stole thousands of dollars of merchandise on Monday from a beauty store.

Officers responded around 12:15 p.m. on Monday, March 27, to a report that a woman stole an estimated $5,000 of merchandise from Ulta Beauty on Northeast Lancaster Drive, at the Willamette Town Center.

The report said the woman entered the store with a shopping bag, filled it with items and left without paying. She left in a vehicle driven by another woman, according to a news release from the Salem Police Department.

Department spokeswoman Angela Hedrick said Tuesday that the items taken were “fragrances,” but she otherwise did not provide details about what was stolen. 

Police found the two women inside the vehicle in the parking lot of Target on Northeast Center Street, across from the mall.

Officers searching the vehicle found the stolen items as well as “documentation of organized theft, drug paraphernalia and a handgun,” according to the news release.

Police arrested Amber D. Alvarado, 37, of Albany, and Taylor P. Hunt, 29, of Eugene, on suspicion of first-degree theft and booked them into Marion County Jail. 

Marion County prosecutors charged Alvarado on Tuesday, March 29, with second-degree theft, according to court documents. A plea hearing is scheduled for April 25 in Marion County Circuit Court.

Court records showed that prosecutors had not charged Hunt in the beauty store incident as of Wednesday.

Alvarado has convictions dating back to 2007, including third-degree assault, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and delivery of methamphetamine. 

Hunt faces charges of second-degree theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle in two previous cases in Marion County. The charges allege she stole $100 or more from Fred Meyer and rode in an SUV without the owner’s consent, court documents showed.

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.