ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A Fairview Heights, Illinois, woman is in custody for allegedly stealing more than $52,000 worth of purses and other merchandise from high-end retail stores in St. Louis County.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged has Jamille Cobin, 20, with two counts of stealing – $750 or more and one count of stealing – $25,000 or more. Cobin remains jailed on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

Police and prosecutors claim Cobin and others targeted the Nordstrom store inside the Saint Louis Galleria and the Nieman-Marcus store at Plaza Frontenac.

According to probable cause statements filed in county court, the first two recorded thefts took place on the same day, Aug. 16, 2023.

Between 3:18 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. that day, prosecutors say Cobin and another woman walked into the Nieman-Marcus and stole eight purses from displays by cutting their security cables. The purses carried a value of $7,425. The theft was recorded on surveillance video.

Less than an hour later, between 4:09 p.m. and 4:12 p.m., police claim Cobin and the other woman entered the Nordstrom store at the Galleria and picked up several purses and handbags from displays. They walked out of the store without attempting to pay. Nordstrom employees confronted the pair at the exit, but they pushed past them with four handbags in total. The seven bags were worth $4,240.

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Several days later, Cobin’s cohort was stopped in St. Louis City and police claim to have found some of the stolen purses in that vehicle. That woman later surrendered to Frontenac police. She admitted to working with someone nicknamed “Sweets” to steal the purses in both locations. Frontenac police were able to match Cobin to that nickname through a Facebook profile identified by the co-conspirator.

On Dec. 21, 2023, prosecutors allege Cobin and 11 others pulled off a grand-and-run theft at Nieman-Marcus. Cobin was spotted on video cutting security cables on multiple racks of clothing. She took clothes from two of the racks while the other thieves picked items from the other racks. The stolen merchandise was worth $41,137.

While leaving the store, a customer attempted to intervene. One of the thieves with Cobin took out a box cutter and threatened the customer.

Cobin was eventually identified and contacted by law enforcement. She eventually surrendered to Frontenac police with her attorney.

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