An alleged luggage thief has been banned from entering any airport after a Utah Grand Jury indicted her with stealing thousands of dollars worth of baggage belonging to airline passengers who had intrusted their luggage in the hands of Alaska Airlines, Delta and United Airlines.
Leticia Marie Torres and Brianna Marie Taylor, both 42, have been charged with stealing multiple pieces of luggage over the course of a one-month period in January 2022, following the Grand Jury ruling.
Prosecutors claim Torres and Taylor repeatedly went to the Salt Lake City International Airport in January 2022 and took luggage off the baggage carousels before their rightful owners had reached the baggage reclaim area.
Torres and Taylor are also accused of using multiple stolen credit cards that one victim had left in her checked-in luggage.
Video surveillance footage was obtained by investigators showing Torres and Taylor allegedly taking luggage from the baggage carousels, as well as going on a ‘shopping spree’ with the stolen credit cards.
Investigators discovered some of the stolen baggage at Torres’ residence.
Ahead of the busy holiday and ski travel season, the Salt Lake City Police Department has advised travelers to keep high-value and irreplaceable items in their carry-on bags.
The department has also suggested that travelers reconsider purchasing luxury luggage brands because these act as a draw for baggage thieves.
