CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Several boutique owners in Charlotte are shocked after another boutique was burglarized this week.
Some of them think a ring of thieves they are calling the "boutique bandits" or the "grab and go's" are targeting high-end women's clothing stores.
Kimberly Wilkinson, the owner of Vivian B boutique on North Davidson Street, said she had to close down for a month after her boutique was broken into June 1.
On Wednesday morning, she discovered her boutique had been broken into again, less than a week after she reopened.
Wilkinson said the security company she hired was supposed to come by later that day.
"The camera was going to get hooked up, and I thought that I had time," she said.
Wilkinson said the thieves stole almost $9,000 in merchandise from her store.
She got back some of her merchandise after Layvette Stembridge, who owns the Sheluva salon next door, showed her a photo taken by one of her customers.
Wilkinson said the photo showed a man selling some of her stolen clothing outside a nightclub.
The man was later arrested for possession of stolen property but not charged with breaking into the store.
Eyewitness News discovered seven boutiques have been hit in Charlotte over the past few months. Police are investigating if there is a link.
At one of the boutiques, Fresh, the owners have since put up iron bars on the windows.
At another, The Pink Hanger, owners said they are upgrading their security system. They said they have no doubt the string of break-ins are connected.
"They definitely are," Theresa Caveney said. "Why they're targeting high-end women's boutiques, we're not really quite sure yet. Certainly there must be a trail of very nice clothing somewhere."
More Information: CMPD Crime Mapping