Deodorant thieves elude capture, Tosa police say

Even the dark underbelly of crime is worried about the smell of their underarms.

According to a Wauwatosa police report:

Four people - two men and two women in their mid-20s - are suspected of taking 44 sticks of deodorant, a value of $290, from CVS Pharmacy, 7520 W. Bluemound Road, and Walgreens, 2275 N. Mayfair Road.

The four worked as a team to snatch the merchandise. At Walgreens, two people blocked employees' vision while two grabbed the deodorant sticks.

Walgreens employees, suspecting the theft, called the police. The four were able to escape in a car with a temporary license plate before heading straight to CVS.

The plan didn't work as well there. One employee became immediately suspicious and began following the four through the store. The employee was intercepted by two of the team, who tried distracting the employee with questions.

Knowing they were sniffed out, the four left the store but were followed by the employee to their car.

One of the four became irate as the employee tried writing down the number on the license plate. He said, "I'll bash your face in," causing the employee to back off.