NASHVILLE, TN — Two women with theft warrants in multiple states remain jailed after Nashville police say they were caught last week inside Lululemon dressing rooms in the Gulch removing tags from merchandise. Officers later tied the arrests to a vehicle with more than $10,000 in retail goods that detectives say were connected to out-of-state thefts.

The Facts

• What: Nashville police arrested two shoplifting suspects after store employees noticed them in dressing rooms removing tags from merchandise.
• Where: Lululemon in the Gulch neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee.
• When: Last week, according to Nashville police.
• Who: Satonya Maiden, 46, and Ebony Hammond, 33, both of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Charges: Maiden was charged with burglary, theft, drug possession, and being a fugitive from justice. Hammond was charged with burglary, theft, criminal impersonation, and being a fugitive from justice.
• Status: Both women remain jailed and both face full extradition warrants tied to theft cases in other states.

What police say

According to Nashville police, employees at the store recognized Maiden and Hammond because both women were wanted in connection with theft cases elsewhere. Officers from Central Precinct responded after the store reported suspicious activity inside the dressing rooms.

Police said Hammond gave officers two false last names and two fraudulent Social Security numbers when she was arrested. Investigators also found a key fob for a Kia in Hammond’s purse, which led them to a vehicle parked nearby.

Inside that vehicle, Organized Retail Crime detectives said they found more than $10,000 worth of merchandise from Lululemon, Alo, Sephora, Ulta and Carhartt. Police said the items were linked to thefts outside Tennessee.

Authorities said both women had previously been banned from Lululemon locations nationwide after a theft arrest in another state. Police said Maiden had extradition warrants from Texas, Arkansas and Iowa, while Hammond had warrants from Texas, Virginia, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The investigation

Organized retail theft cases often rely on store workers, surveillance video, recovered merchandise and database checks that show whether a suspect has outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions. In this case, police said employees recognized the women before officers made the arrests.

Detectives then connected the women to a nearby Kia and searched the vehicle. The items recovered there were described as merchandise from several national retailers, a pattern investigators often examine for signs of organized theft rather than an isolated shoplifting incident.

For shoppers and store employees, police say quick reporting matters when someone is seen tampering with tags, hiding goods or moving through fitting rooms in a suspicious way. Nashville police did not list a public tip line in the information provided, but local departments generally accept reports through nonemergency numbers or through their crime tip channels.

What the charges mean

Burglary and theft charges can carry different meanings depending on the facts and the value of the property involved. In retail cases, prosecutors often look at whether a person entered a business with the intent to commit a crime, whether merchandise was taken, and whether the conduct fits a broader theft pattern.

A criminal impersonation charge usually alleges that a person used false identifying information to mislead police or another authority. A fugitive-from-justice charge generally means a person is wanted in another jurisdiction and is being held so that state or federal extradition procedures can move forward.

Drug possession charges can be added when officers say a controlled substance was found during the arrest or search. In general, defendants move through booking, a first court appearance, bond review, and later hearings where prosecutors must support the charges with evidence.

What happens next

Maiden and Hammond remain in jail while the extradition warrants are handled. That process can take time because officials in one state must often coordinate with courts and law enforcement in another before a transfer can occur.

Any local court case would continue separately from the warrants in other states. If prosecutors move forward in Nashville, the women would be entitled to hearings in which charges are reviewed and the evidence is tested under normal criminal court procedure.

Have information on a crime? Contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).