Employees Pepper-Sprayed During Mall Theft Attempt

A shoplifting call at a Connecticut mall turned into something more serious on Monday night. Two women allegedly tried to steal merchandise from the Nordstrom at Westfarms Mall in Farmington, and police say the encounter escalated when they sprayed two store employees with what investigators believe was pepper spray. The women then got away. So this is not just a basic theft story anymore — it is a theft investigation with an assault folded into it. (fox61.com) ### What happened at the mall? Police say officers were called to Nordstrom at Westfarms Mall at about 8 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2026, for a reported larceny. (fox61.com) Investigators say two female suspects attempted to steal merchandise, and two loss-prevention associates confronted them as they were leaving the store. During that encounter, the suspects allegedly sprayed the employees and fled. ### Who got hurt? The two people hit were loss-prevention employees — basically the store staff tasked with stopping theft and tracking suspected shoplifters. Public reports do not describe the injuries as life-threatening, but pepper spray is still a weapon in this context. It can cause intense burning, temporary blindness, breathing trouble, and panic, which is exactly why these cases get treated more seriously than a grab-and-run. (fox61.com) ### What do police know about the suspects? The description is pretty specific, even if the suspects have not been identified yet. Police say both were heavier-set women wearing hooded sweatshirts with the hoods up and surgical-style face masks. That matters because it suggests they were trying to make identification harder before the confrontation even started. (fox61.com) ### How did they get away? Investigators say the pair left in a brown Ford Edge. The SUV was displaying misused Connecticut registration plates believed to be BL06621. That detail is one of the biggest clues in the case, but the catch is right there in the wording — “misused” plates can mean the tag does not actually belong to that vehicle, which makes tracking the suspects harder. (fox61.com) ### Why does the license plate detail matter so much? Because in a case like this, the vehicle is often the fastest route to an arrest. Mall cameras, parking-lot cameras, traffic cameras, and plate-reader systems can all help build a path in and out of the area. But if the plate was swapped, borrowed, stolen, or otherwise being used improperly, police have to work backward from video, timing, and vehicle description instead of just pulling the registered owner and knocking on a door. That slows everything down. (fox61.com) ### Why is this bigger than shoplifting? Because the moment force gets used against workers, the risk profile changes. Stores expect theft attempts. What they do not expect is a routine intervention turning into a chemical assault on employees. That raises the stakes for retailers, mall security, and police — especially in busy regional shopping centers like Westfarms, where a suspect can disappear into traffic fast. (fox61.com) ### What happens next? Right now, police are asking the public for help identifying and locating the two suspects. Farmington police have told anyone with information to call 860-675-2400. As of the latest public reports, no arrests had been announced. ### Bottom line? (fox61.com) The core story is simple. Two women allegedly tried to steal from Nordstrom, two employees tried to stop them, and the suspects used pepper spray to break contact and escape. The open question now is whether the vehicle description, the plate clue, and mall surveillance are enough to turn a fast-moving getaway into an arrest.