CVS shutters DC location after teen thieves routinely empty shelves

A CVS store in Washington, D.C., will close down at the end of February, likely due to the area's surging theft epidemic, Fox Business reported Tuesday.

The store, located in Northwest D.C., has been the target of teen shoplifting rings for several months. A group of roughly 45 thieves have routinely ransacked the store, leaving most of its shelves bare.

While the CVS location is staffed with an armed security guard, the guard's primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the store's customers and staff, not to chase down shoplifters, WTOP reported.

A CVS spokesperson told the news outlet, "Maintaining access to pharmacy services in the communities we serve is an important factor we consider when making store closure decisions."

"Other factors include local market dynamics, population shifts, a community's store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community," she added.

While the spokesperson would not confirm whether the store was shuttering due to the rampant theft, CVS told WTOP in October that it was working with local law enforcement to "identify and dismantle several major shoplifting rings."

"In addition, we're supporting new initiatives to combat retail theft in partnership with the D.C. Attorney General's Office," CVS said. At the time, the company reported that it had no plans to close any of its D.C. locations.

In October, videos shared on social media showed aisle after aisle of bare shelves after a group of teens stole most of the store's items.

Employees stated that a large group of teenagers frequently come to the location before and after school and late at night to steal snacks and drinks. They also reported that the teen theft ring knows when new shipments are scheduled to arrive and coordinates the best time to target the location.

According to WTTG, street vendors just steps away from the CVS sell items similar to those that once filled the store's shelves. Some have speculated that the street vendors are paying teens to steal from the location.

"It's pathetic. It's very sad to see the behavior of our next generation to be destroying properties, putting people out of jobs. I think it's ridiculous," one resident told WTTG.

Another shopper told WTOP that the store is "the emptiest CVS I have ever seen."

"You basically have to go to another CVS to get what you want," she said. "It's almost empty."

The Columbia Heights CVS store is scheduled to close its doors on February 29.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!