The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office successfully dismantled a criminal operation on Thursday, which was involved in stealing Bath & Body Works shipments and reselling the candles and soaps at discounted rates. This scheme reportedly caused losses exceeding $100,000 for the retail chain, as reported by Local10 (WPLG).
Authorities have apprehended four individuals, allegedly of Cuban descent: Lecsi Linet Figueroa-Martínez, 24, a resident of Hialeah; Yosdany Martínez-Bravo, 49, from Northwest Miami-Dade; Marlie Rodríguez-Benavides, 35, from Pembroke Pines; and Michel Sánchez-Escanelle, 44, also from Hialeah.
Unveiling the Theft
The investigation kicked off after an internal audit by Bath & Body Works uncovered "a significant inventory loss" at their store located in the London Square shopping center in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Sánchez-Escanelle, a delivery truck driver, was responsible for transporting goods from a Medley warehouse to the store. However, instead of completing the deliveries, he diverted boxes to other vehicles.
Tracking the Criminal Activity
Surveillance footage captured at least two incidents in September, showing Sánchez-Escanelle transferring stolen products into the trunk of his BMW truck behind a nearby CAO Bakery & Cafe, ultimately delivering them to Figueroa-Martínez.
On Thursday morning, detectives observed him repeating this maneuver directly behind the store. They tracked Figueroa-Martínez to her home in Hialeah and then to Martínez-Bravo's house, where the stolen goods were unloaded with another man, who was not identified in court records.
Recovery and Arrests
During the execution of a search warrant at Martínez-Bravo's residence, authorities recovered 17 boxes of stolen merchandise and approximately $140,000 in cash.
Rodríguez-Benavides arrived at the scene while detectives were present and was promptly arrested. According to the police report, she admitted to purchasing stolen candles for $8 each to sell them at $10, while the official price at Bath & Body Works is $25.
Legal Proceedings
She also confessed to having bought $30,000 worth of stolen goods from Figueroa-Martínez over the past six months, suspecting the Bath & Body Works boxes were stolen but continuing to buy them nonetheless.
Martínez-Bravo was described as "receiving and storing the stolen merchandise" for Rodríguez-Benavides. Sánchez-Escanelle was arrested later that afternoon at his Hialeah residence.
Regarding charges, Martínez-Bravo and Rodríguez-Benavides each face one count of dealing in stolen property, with a bail set at $7,500. Figueroa-Martínez and Sánchez-Escanelle face 12 counts of cargo theft and another 12 counts of dealing in stolen property. Additionally, Sánchez-Escanelle is charged with 12 counts of organized fraud.
All four suspects remained in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Friday afternoon. Figueroa-Martínez's bail was set at $60,000, contingent on proving the funds' legitimate origin. Sánchez-Escanelle's bail was yet to be determined.
This case reflects a rising trend of organized retail crime in Florida. Earlier in May, employees at a Miami Lakes UPS store stole around 80 boxes of Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret products—worth about $40,000—and sold them on Facebook Marketplace.
Understanding the Miami Candle Theft Case
What was the operation in Miami stealing?
The operation was involved in stealing shipments of candles and soaps from Bath & Body Works.
How much financial loss did Bath & Body Works suffer due to this theft?
The theft operation caused losses exceeding $100,000 for Bath & Body Works.
Who were the individuals arrested in connection to this theft operation?
Four individuals were arrested: Lecsi Linet Figueroa-Martínez, Yosdany Martínez-Bravo, Marlie Rodríguez-Benavides, and Michel Sánchez-Escanelle.