Thieves hit Dick’s, Lululemon in Gaithersburg; officer struck during getaway

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Three thieves are on the loose after a shoplifting spree in Gaithersburg ended with a police officer hurt.

Police received a call for a felony theft at the Dick's Sporting Goods on Grand Corner Avenue in the popular Rio shopping center around 4:50 p.m. on Monday.

Witnesses said two women ran into the store, stole thousands of dollars in clothing, and jumped into a getaway car waiting outside – a silver sedan.

As police were responding, another call came in for a felony theft at the Lululemon apparel store across the street at Downtown Crown with the same suspect's description.

Police went to catch them and that's when the male driver of the getaway car hit one of the officers in the leg before taking off.

The officer was taken to the hospital where he was treated and is now recovering at home.

Shoppers say they keep hearing these stories of shoplifters over and over again and are worried about both customer and employee safety.

"You just hope the security is going to be better. Maybe they need to have a full-time security person in the store. It's really sad," said Andrea.

Cpl. Dan Lane with Gaithersburg Police said it could have been much worse since these crimes can quickly get chaotic, especially with reckless driving like in this case.

And they're hoping the public can help when they see these things happen in real-time.

"Any videos, any photos, and you can be anonymous and say 'here's a video of what happened' because in this instance, we're trying to figure out the vehicle make, model, and things like that and these things occur real quick," Lane said.

Lane clarified that a felony theft is anything over $1,500.

An expert FOX 5 spoke with said criminals oftentimes resell these stolen goods online at third-party marketplaces –  for almost the full retail value.

Lane said Gaithersburg has not been immune to the trend of rising retail crime, and they're working with police in Montgomery County and Prince George's County.

FOX 5 has reported on Lululemon thefts in D.C. and Northern Virginia for months now.

"A lot of these shopping centers are located off of main highways, 270, 370 so it's easy access for them to commit the crime and then jump onto it and drive somewhere else to commit another crime," Lane said.

The search for the three suspects is still ongoing.

If you know anything, you're asked to contact the Gaithersburg Police - Investigative Section at 301-258-6400. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call the Gaithersburg Tip Line at 301-330-4471.