Arkansas man wanted for beauty store thefts in Missouri
UNION, Mo. – A Franklin County Circuit Court judge signed an arrest warrant for an undocumented immigrant living in northwest Arkansas man for numerous thefts over the summer at beauty stores in Missouri.
The Washington Police Department began investigating the thefts in late September, according to probable cause statement.
The thefts happened on July 17 and Sept. 5 at the Ulta Beauty store located at the Phoenix Center II shopping center in Washington.
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from both incidents and observed a Hispanic man enter the store, select perfume products, hide them on his person, and then leave without paying. The total dollar value for the two thefts was $3,582.
A Washington police detective went online to a website used by Ulta Beauty and other department stores to track stealing incidents. The detective discovered the same man was involved in other thefts from Ulta stores in other states. The website provided the detective with a lead: a blue Honda Civic that the suspect used in the thefts. The vehicle had an Arkansas license plate.
Police traced the plate the vehicle’s owner, who lived in Springdale, Arkansas, located between Fayetteville and Bentonville. On Oct. 6, the Springdale Police Department dispatched two detectives to the address connected to the Civic’s owner.
The detectives met with Jesus R. Vargas-Hernandez, who told them his cousin owns the vehicle, but he drives it.
Police said Vargas-Hernandez admitted being an undocumented immigrant, adding that he did not have legal documentation with his name on it for that reason.
The detectives reviewed Vargas-Hernandez’s social media accounts, including a TikTok account that had a video of Vargas-Hernandez from Aug. 14, showing him in the same attire worn by the suspect in the theft on Sept. 5. Detectives also recognized a tattoo on Vargas-Hernandez’s left hand and wrist, which was visible on the security camera footage from Ulta Beauty.
The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Vargas-Hernandez with two counts of stealing – $750 or more.
