An investigation by the Phoenix Police Department into a suspected organized retail theft organization has led to the arrest of a husband and wife in Glendale, identified as Nephtali Santiago-Garcia and Yuli “Nissy” Degante-Vigueras.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the sophisticated organized retail theft operation involved stealing and reselling merchandise worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In 2023 and 2024, detectives from the Organized Retail Crimes Detail identified a crew responsible for stealing over $160,000 in merchandise, primarily from Bath & Body Works locations, across Phoenix and Maricopa County. This crew was also linked to similar crimes in Texas and Nevada.
The investigation led to Santiago-Garcia and Degante-Vigueras, at the center of the illicit operation. The couple was identified as the primary “fence,” purchasing large volumes of stolen goods from the theft crew and reselling them for profit. Their Glendale home featured a converted living room acting as a storefront where they often sold the stolen merchandise through online platforms. The investigation determined they trafficked in stolen property on at least seventeen separate occasions between April 2023 and April 2024.
Further investigation led to the identification of Marcos Ortega Hernandez, a delivery driver who supplied the married couple with substantial volumes of stolen merchandise that he was supposed to deliver to retailers. Hernandez worked for a trucking company delivering to major retailers like Bath & Body Works, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, and Banana Republic. He diverted an estimated $200,000 worth of cargo for illegal resale. Between 2023 and 2024, Hernandez received over $72,000 in payments from the couple for these illicit transactions.
On April 9, 2025, Santiago-Garcia and Degante Vigueras were arrested. A search warrant executed at their Glendale home led to the recovery of over $355,000 worth of new Bath & Body Works merchandise and approximately $5,000 in new Victoria’s Secret merchandise. Many items were still in their original parcels with shipping labels, which directly implicated Hernandez, as over $20,000 worth of the recovered merchandise was traced back to his delivery trucks.
Following extensive additional investigation, Marcos Ortega Hernandez was arrested on June 26, 2025. A search warrant at his residence uncovered additional new and stolen merchandise from various victim retailers.
supply and demand.. with some self induced ‘diversion’ programs. Organized crime – Welcome to the State Hotel
Throw away the keys.
Diversity at work.