Woman charged in shoplifting operation

A woman in Austin, Texas, is accused of selling tens of thousands of dollars worth of shoplifted items such as shampoo and detergent, police said. Maria Patricia Villegas was arrested after a sting operation in which police officers posed as shoplifters and sold Villegas goods allegedly lifted from stores such as Target and H-E-B. Police say Villegas appeared to be a part of a massive operation, allegedly reselling thousands of dollars worth of shampoo, batteries, razor blades, Tide detergent and more at flea markets, out of her home or over the border in Mexico. Undercover officers said they sold three batches of stolen goods to Villegas starting in early March, each time informing her the goods were shoplifted, The Austin American-Statesman reported. Villegas was arrested after police executed a search warrant at her Southeast Austin home, uncovering almost $35,000 in stolen merchandise. Villegas' operation hit stores hard, with her procurers allegedly nabbing $10,000 worth of shampoo alone in the month of January from a local H-E-B, and some $50,000 in merchandise from an area Target, police said. Across the country, police departments have dealt with a rise in shoplifting of household products, the American-Statesman reported.