By Brian Marshall
Review Editor
A Utica man has been arrested and charged with stealing a large amount of nail polish bottles from the CVS store on Broadway in Lake Orion.

According to Lake Orion Chief Jerry Narsh, Derek Michael-Herbert Hill, a 26-year-old resident of Utica, and a female accomplice stole about 180 bottles of nail polish worth about $1,600 in two trips to the CVS in December of 2015 and January of this year.
A Lake Orion Police investigator located Hill at the Oakland County Jail, where he was lodged on a separate incident. Hill was interviewed on the larceny from CVS and admitted it was him and his then-girlfriend. Hill said the woman is a 30-year-old resident of Farmington Hills.
The motive for stealing the nail polish?

“Hill stated they sold the nail polish to purchase drugs,” Narsh said. “The theft of nail polish is increasing as a means of creating black market sales for drugs. The female suspect has been identified and charged, but has not been located.”
Hill was arraigned at the 52/3 District Court in Rochester Hills on July 22 before Judge Lisa L. Asadoorian on one count of Felony Retail Fraud-First Degree (second offense) Five years and / or $10,000 fine. Bond was set at $10,000 cash or surety. Hill was returned to the Oakland County jail pending a probable cause hearing set before 52/3 District Court Judge Nancy Carniack, scheduled for Aug. 1.
Social media played a key role in the pair being identified.
“On June 16, 2016 LOPD Investigators received a tip from a family member that recognized both suspects after recently viewing the suspect images from a social media post,” the police report stated. “Based on information obtained from the family member the male suspect was identified as Derek Michael-Herbert Hill, a 26-year old resident of Utica, and the female, a 30-year-old resident of Farmington Hills.”
According to CVS store surveillance, on Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 3 p.m, a lone white female described as 5-foot-3, 130 pounds with dark hair entered the store and proceeded to place a very large amount estimated at 90 bottles of nail polish bottles in her purse and left without paying.
On Thursday, January 7, 2016 at about 11:40 a.m., a white male and what appears to be the same white female enter the store. The female proceeds to place the remainder of the nail polish left on the shelf, about 90 more bottles, into her purse and they are seen leaving the store without paying for the merchandise.
Lake Orion Police are asking if anyone recognizes the female suspect or has information regarding this crime to call the LOPD Dispatch Center at (248) 693-8321, or call 1-800- SPEAK UP.