Cape police search for 2 cross-dressing men, woman

When employees at a West Park Mall clothing store saw three large women in tight baby T-shirts and hot pants climbing under dressing room stalls, they suspected they were shoplifting.

They also suspected they were men.

They weren't fooling anyone for long, said an employee at Hollister Co. who asked that his name not be used. The hairy legs gave them away, he said.

Sales associates then began offering the "women" customer service assistance. The strategy, he said, was to linger nearby and constantly ask if they needed help until they realized they were under tight surveillance and the game was up.

At that point, the employees realized that only two of the suspects were men.

The employee described the two men -- and the woman -- as around 6 feet 3 inches tall, beefy with broad shoulders. The men sported what the employee said appeared to be longhaired wigs but could have been weaves, and looked to be in their mid- to late twenties. One of the men had a jagged scar running down the side of his face.

When the sales associate continued to offer the trio help with their shopping, they grew "loud" and "obnoxious," according to the employee.

The store's floor manager notified police of the possible shoplifters after they had left Hollister Co., carrying a full Macy's shopping bag that store employees suspected might have held stolen merchandise, Cape Girardeau police spokesman Jason Selzer said. Corporate policy prevents Hollister employees from pursuing suspected shoplifters.

According to the police summary, the three suspects fled the scene in a maroon rental car. Police searched for the cross-dressing suspects for a short time but did not apprehend them, Selzer said.

Hollister Co. did not intend to prosecute and did not file a formal complaint because employees could not recover any sales tags and had no proof a theft had actually been committed, Selzer said.

Because no charges have been filed, there may not be anything police can do, though they are still searching for the car, Selzer said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245