In a viral video released by the Seal Beach Police Department, three women caught stealing over $650 worth of items from an Ulta beauty store are seen sitting handcuffed in the back of a police car, where one of them expresses surprise that stealing is a felony.
The video, which quickly gained attention online, shows the three women — Destiny Bender, 24, Deanna Hines, 24, both from Long Beach, and Michelle Pitts, 26, from Signal Hill — discussing the consequences of their actions after being arrested for theft. As one of the women questions the severity of the crime, another responds, “Stealing is a felony and this Orange County doesn’t play.”
The Seal Beach Police Department used the opportunity to remind the public about Proposition 36, which went into effect on Wednesday, increasing punishments for retail theft and certain drug offenses. The department’s post included a caption: “… a friendly reminder that Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some retail theft and drug possession offenses, went into effect Wednesday morning in California.”
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Along with the viral clip from the back of the squad car, the original video footage, which was also shared by the police, shows surveillance from the Ulta store and Kohl’s, where the women allegedly stole merchandise valued at nearly $1,000. Dressed in Ugg boots and holding their phones, the women visited multiple retailers, stealing expensive items.
In addition to facing charges of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, and resisting arrest, the women are likely to face the consequences of California’s new Proposition 36. The law strengthens punishments for retail theft, especially for serial offenders, by allowing authorities to aggregate the value of stolen goods from multiple thefts, which can now be counted together to meet felony thresholds.
The Prop. 47 initiative passed in 2014 had reclassified most thefts under $950 as misdemeanors, leading to confusion over penalties for theft. While some crimes, such as retail theft, were decriminalized, a rise in organized retail thefts — often involving large groups stealing merchandise to resell online — spurred the push for Prop. 36. This new law aims to target repeat offenders and strengthen punishments for those involved in serial thefts.
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“Here in Seal Beach, we never believed in the cite-and-release program, but this new proposition only strengthens our commitment to combating Organized Retail Theft,” said a Seal Beach police spokesperson. “Remember folks, don’t steal in Seal.”
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