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Hermès Heist: Baltimore Man Arrested For Texas Theft Of Purses Valued At $200,000

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Baltimore man is behind bars after stealing more than $200,000 worth of women's handbags.

Rochelle Ritchie has the story.

The man and his accomplice stole the bags from a woman's home in Texas before flying back to Maryland. Investigators in Texas notified Maryland police about the thefts, and that's when the hunt began.

Edward Bryant, 40, has a taste for high-end handbags, so much so Maryland State Police say he stole eight Hermès bags from a woman's home in Texas.

The suspects "returned to Maryland with the handbags and were attempting to sell those handbags through a network dealing in stolen property like this," said Greg Shipley, Maryland State Police.

Maryland State Police say Bryant and his accomplice knew the woman would not be home, and that is when they made their plan to strike.

Bryant was arrested at his Baltimore home on Glenhunt Avenue on Tuesday.

Police later found four of the bags at another location in Baltimore. The handbags included three Hermés Birkins, two valued at $38,000 each and one worth $30,000.  The fourth was a Hermés Kelly valued at $15,000.

"These kinds of stolen bags are not what you find later being sold on the corner. These were the real deal," Shipley said."It appears there was network facilitated through the Internet. People were in the market for these kinds of high-end handbags at a reduced cost."

Bryant is now in jail on a fugitive warrant.

Police say they are still searching for the second suspect.

The bags have been returned to the owner.

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