Man Found With 342 Victoria's Secret Bras

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Two off-duty Greenwich police officers thought something was amiss when they saw a New York man hiding behind parked cars and carrying a J.C. Penney bag.

There's no J.C. Penney store near upscale Greenwich, so the officers stopped Ricardo Salazar and searched his van, where they found 342 bras that had allegedly been stolen from Victoria's Secret.

The bras, worth $14,135, were different colors and sizes and cost between $32 and $50 each. Police say Salazar, 25, of Elmhurst, N.Y., is also accused of stealing $856 worth of sleepwear from Victoria's Secret and more than $5,000 worth of shoes from Shoes-n-More.

"I've never heard of anything like this," said Police Lt. Richard Cochran.

Cochran said he's unsure how someone could take so many items from a store without being noticed. Victoria's Secret, citing corporate policy, declined comment.

Police said an employee told them she had seen a couple acting strangely. The woman went through the checkout and left, but the employee did not see the man leave with her.

A store manager at Shoes-n-More said the store's security system did not alert employees that shoes had been taken.

"None of us in the store saw it," the manager said. Thieves "know what they are doing. They are very good about it. You have to be very careful."

Police said Salazar had a device to remove anti-shoplifting tags from items, a misdemeanor.

Salazar told police he was in town to see a friend and go disco dancing. He had no identification and said it had recently been stolen.

He faces first-degree larceny charges and was held on $50,000 bond.

Cochran commended off-duty officers Chris and Christy Girard, who are married, for noticing the J.C. Penney bag and Salazar's odd behavior.