Police say the women targeted 13 stores across Maricopa County during three days in July.
PHOENIX — Two sisters have been arrested on organized retail theft charges after authorities accused them of stealing more than $75,000 in cosmetics from 13 Ulta Beauty stores across the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Ivonne Buitrago-Cabrera and Yoraima Buitrago-Cabrera each face nine counts of organized retail theft, according to Phoenix police information reported by Arizona’s Family. Investigators allege the women entered stores, placed cosmetics into bags and left without paying during a three-day period earlier in July.
Police said investigators initially connected the sisters to nine thefts before finding four additional incidents after the original charges were filed. Authorities did not release a complete list of the stores, the dates of each alleged theft or a breakdown of the merchandise taken from each location.
A Phoenix police spokesperson said the sisters are from Colombia and are suspected of stealing more than $155,000 in merchandise from stores in Arizona and California. That broader loss estimate has not been tested in court, and authorities did not say whether charges had been filed in California.
Police also linked the women to alleged thefts involving Lacoste, Adidas, Puma and Crocs stores. Officials did not disclose the value of the merchandise connected to those retailers or explain whether the incidents were included in the Arizona charges.
Both women were being held on $75,000 cash-only bonds in connection with the Arizona cases. Court dates and information about their attorneys were not immediately included in the available reporting. Criminal charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Arizona law defines organized retail theft as removing merchandise without paying while intending to resell or trade it, or using a container or other device to help remove merchandise. The offense is classified as a Class 4 felony.
The arrests come as Maricopa County authorities report continued pressure from organized retail crime. Police agencies submitted 344 such cases to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution from January through June, according to figures cited in the original report. The office received 738 organized retail theft submissions during all of 2025.
Arizona’s attorney general also operates a statewide task force that investigates organized theft and the sale or distribution of stolen retail merchandise. The task force works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and may recommend cases for prosecution.
The investigation remains active as authorities review the four incidents discovered after the initial charges and the alleged thefts involving other retailers. Officials had not announced additional charges or released further court records as of Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated July 29, 2026.