KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

Two shoplifters got more than they bargained for when they were confronted and chased out of Ulta Beauty by two citizens.

According to the police report, the police department were dispatched to Ulta Beauty Sunday, Dec. 10, in response to a theft in progress inside the store. As officers got to the store, they were informed by witnesses that the suspects, identified as a black male and female, left the store with stolen items and got into a gray Nissan Maxima and headed into town on North Jackson Street heading towards Franklin County. Witnesses said there was a third suspect in the vehicle staged as the getaway driver. Officers did pull over a vehicle not too long after the incident, but confirmed it was not the vehicle they were looking for.

Officers then talked to witnesses about the incident, including two witnesses who confronted the shoplifters, James “Trey” Staples and Jacob Foster. Foster and Staples told The News they were at the store that evening with their partners shopping when the theft took place.

“We were in there for probably 20ish minutes, standing in the checkout line and suddenly hear a whole bunch of the alarms going off,” Staples said.

Both Staples and Foster said they saw the suspects grabbing everything off the counters and putting the items in bags and a buggy. An Ulta Beauty worker had everyone moved away to the side away from the area. 

“[The workers] told customers to get to the other side of the store, and me and my buddy weren’t raised like that,” Foster said. “I was like pulling on his arm and said ‘You wanna make the news buddy?’”

The two men then made a decision to intervene and as soon as the suspects looked at them Foster chased after them while Staples made his way to the door. As Foster was chasing the suspects to Staples, he said when he got behind as they got to the door he noticed the trash bags with the stolen items.

“I wasn’t trying to [hurt anybody] so I saw the trash bag, dug my fingernails into it and ripped the bag as hard as I could so everything they had, that they were trying to steal, dumped out on the ground,” he said.

Foster and Staples continued their chase to the suspects’ car. Both men said the car was in neutral, and couldn’t get the car in drive at first. Foster said they were able to get more items before the car pulled out of the parking lot. The men were helping to gather all the items in the parking lot as police arrived and provided their statements. Staples said when they talked with the mall security guard who told them he was glad someone did something as he is not allowed to. Staples said he was glad that Foster was with them and they were able to do something.

“We didn’t think it was right for them to come in, ransack and steal everything,” Staples said.

While both Foster and Staples were able to assist, the police report stated the general manager was able to confirm that the suspects got away with $4,600.10 worth of store merchandise.

Anyone who has any information should contact the Tullahoma Police Department at 931-455-0530.