The thieves -- a man and a woman -- lifted $4,000 worth of brassieres from the Victoria's Secret store at Cary Towne Center on Oct. 16, said officer Mark Vanhouten of the Cary Police Department.

The duo also attempted to take $2,000 worth of lotions and perfume, items that were returned to the store before the pair's escape.

A manager at the store had alerted her employees to the threat of a potential shoplifting after similar thefts had already occurred at Victoria's Secret stores at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, Vanhouten said.

But store employees couldn't keep a close enough eye on two people who entered the store between 5 and 5:30 p.m. The manager said she saw them walking out with a black shopping bag that was "stuffed to the max," according to police.

The manager confronted the couple, who apologized after briefly returning to the store, where they dumped the perfume and lotions on the sales floor.

Thinking that all of the goods had been returned, the manager let the couple go. It was only after a thorough check of their stock that the manager realized she had been duped, Vanhouten said. The bras were still missing.

"It happens," Vanhouten said. "Many times, shoplifters will find a way to distract employees. That's a common method they use to take merchandise."