Thieves strip shelves bare at CVS outlet in the nation's capital

A sticky-fingered mob of shoplifting teens has almost entirely cleaned out a Washington, DC-area CVS outlet leaving the retailers shelves almost bare. Startling images from inside the chain pharmacy in DCs Columbia Heights neighborhood show row after row of empty shelves, thanks to about 45 youngsters who have been targeting the store, Fox affiliate

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A sticky-fingered mob of shoplifting teens has almost entirely cleaned out a Washington, DC-area CVS outlet — leaving the retailer’s shelves almost bare.

Startling images from inside the chain pharmacy in DC’s Columbia Heights neighborhood show row after row of empty shelves, thanks to about 45 youngsters who have been targeting the store, Fox affiliate WTTG-TV reported.

“When you walk into this CVS, you’d think the store is closing because there’s barely anything on the shelves,” WTTG reporter Sierra Fox said.

“In fact, the only items in stock are the ones that are locked up. I did ask an employee what gets stolen the most, and they just laughed and said, ‘Everything,'” she added.

According to store employees, the rowdy mob of minors routinely raid the store for chips, drinks and other items — and claim street vendors also pay the teens to pocket items for the store that they later sell at a profit on the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, the Columbia Heights store only has one security guard to keep an eye on the merchandise.

Employees at a CVS in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Washington, DC, said dozens of teens routinely shoplift at the store, allegedly selling merchandise to nearby street vendors — leaving the shelves almost entirely bare. FOX 5 DC
“When you walk into this CVS, you’d think the store is closing because there’s barely anything on the shelves,” WTTG reporter Sierra Fox said. FOX 5 DC

“It makes me not want to shop there, to be honest,” customer Ilana Miller told the outlet.

“I just go in there and get my prescription and then when I need other things, I go elsewhere because there’s nothing there to get,” she said.

Constant shoplifting and flash mobs of thieves have put a dent in profits of some of the nation’s largest retailers, including CVS, Rite Aid and Target — with the big-box retailer recently announcing it was shutting down an East Harlem outlet and eight other stores due to heavy losses.

Customer Ilana Miller said the shelves are so bare from shoplifters that she typically picks up her prescriptions, then leaves “because there’s nothing there to get.” FOX 5 DC
“The only items in stock are the ones that are locked up. I did ask an employee what gets stolen the most, and they just laughed and said, ‘Everything,'” Sierra Fox added.

“A lot of people can’t actually afford things in CVS,” DC resident Gerald Darling told WTTG.

“I’m not saying stealing has to be the solution to that,” he added. “However, I don’t know, maybe if the city could provide more accessible resources to unhoused or under-income folks who can provide them hair care, bodily care, hygiene care — that could be an option.”

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