A New Jersey woman who was part of a handbag heist in the Hamptons last year has finally been brought to justice.
Baseemah Tamika Davis was part of a group of shoplifters who stole more than $90,000 worth of purses from a Balenciaga boutique in East Hampton Village last March. She was sentenced to two to six years in prison for her part in the brazen robbery, as reported by Fox5.
“Large-scale retail theft results in consequences for our communities,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (pictured top) said in a statement. “These consequences are felt by store owners and by consumers, who ultimately must bear the costs of such activity through increased prices and the unavailability of certain goods.”
According to authorities, Davis was part of a five-person crew from Newark, N.J. East Hampton Village Police said the three men and two women entered the luxury store on Thursday, March 3, at 1.30 pm, grabbing 34 bags off the shelves before making off in a black Dodge Durango.
New York State Police later spotted the SUV on Sunrise Highway near the Westhampton Beach exit and chased it until it got a flat tire near exit 69 on the Long Island Expressway. The thieves then got out and fled into the wooded area near the highway, according to police.
After an extensive search, the cops arrested four of the five suspects: Ali Harris, 28, Jamal Johns, 25, Wazir Rodgers, 25, and Baseemah Tamika Davis, 34. The group was assisted by an unidentified female accomplice who remains at large.
“Each of the involved defendants arrested in this particular organized retail theft ring have now pleaded guilty and will serve significant sentences in state prison, which is a just consequence for their selfish and dangerous actions,” Tierney added.
Balenciaga has not commented on the robbery or the sentencing.
