Suspected 'panty bandits' accused of stealing $250k of Victoria's Secret lingerie

(FOX 11) - A woman and her two children are in jail accused of stealing hundreds of thousands worth of Victoria's Secret lingerie.

Security video shows the trio at a thousand oaks store with a stroller.

Police say Maria Perez opens a drawer, takes the merchandise and places it in the stroller, while her 15-year-old son is on the lookout.

All the while, her daughter Melissa Partrida is distracting the sales staff so they could not see the suspected thieves pushing the stroller full of lingerie out the door.

Police say the trio targeted Victoria's Secret stores in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard five times since October -- using the same scheme.

Detectives say the suspects also stole stuff from other retailers.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).