AUSTIN, Texas (KWTX) – A group of suspects believed to have been involved in multiple thefts from Victoria’s Secret in Austin and Central Texas have been arrested.

Sofia Hernandez, 20, and Angelica Chavez, 24, are charged with multiple felony counts of theft. Joe Garcia, 37, is charged with multiple felony counts of felony theft and robbery threat and Lisa Vasquez, 30, is charged with felony count of organized retail theft.

In early September 2024, members with the Austin Police Department started an organized crime theft investigation.

During the investigation, police say an organized retail crime investigator with Victoria’s Secret identified three people in connection to several high-value thefts in the Austin area with additional thefts in Central Texas.

Following the investigation, police arrested Hernandez, Chavez, Garica and Vasquez, all of Austin, on the charges listed above.

Two search warrants were performed where police say they seized 2,000 pieces of suspected stolen items belonging to more than 40 different stores, valued at $57,000, and a handgun.

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Is Halloween the new Christmas? Sure seems like it in Texas, which just earned top-5 status in a new study of the U.S. states that are the most into the Halloween spirit.

When it comes to doing up the spookiest holiday of the year, the Lone Star State comes in as the third-most Halloween-obsessed state in America.

The report by outdoor furniture retailer Backyard Oasis ranked all 50 states based on an analysis of search results for Halloween costumes, decor, candy, haunted houses, upcoming Halloween events, and more. State populations were also factored into the rankings to ensure the scores were “accurately comparable.”

Texas ranked No. 3 with a composite score of 48.16 points, beat only by California who ruled the list at No. 1, and New York which came in at No. 2, earning gilded costume crowns as the top two most Halloween-enthusiastic states.

According to the study’s data, Texas is home to 47 haunted houses. The state has more than 75 Spirit Halloween stores in 2024, including nearly 30 in DFW, a dozen in Houston, half a dozen in Austin, and four in San Antonio.

Austinites have plenty of Halloween events to choose from, including a night out at one of many themed bars or artsy showcases. Looking outside of Austin, there are approximately 3,000 Halloween-related events happening all around the state in October.

Many trick-or-treaters dream of getting full size candy bars for Halloween, but in a surprising twist, the study found that the most popular Halloween candy in Texas is actually Sour Patch Kids. The sour-then-sweet candy is also highly popular in New York and Illinois, the report says.

Here’s how Backyard Oasis broke down the rest of Texas’ score:

• 9,314,440 – Halloween costume searches in October 2023
• 1,168,320 – Halloween decoration searches
• 445,670 – Halloween candy searches

Backyard Oasis CEO Andy Wu said in the report that the spirit of Halloween isn’t just about giving out candy or dressing up in fun costumes, it’s about sharing in a “tradition that sparks creativity and joy across the U.S.”

“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, bringing people together through creativity and celebration,” said Wu. “It’s amazing to see how different states embrace the holiday in their own unique ways, from massive costume searches to thrilling haunted houses.”

The top 10 most Halloween-obsessed states are:

• No. 1 – California
• No. 2 – New York
• No. 3 – Texas
• No. 4 – Florida
• No. 5 – Illinois
• No. 6 – Ohio
• No. 7 – Pennsylvania
• No. 8 – Indiana
• No. 9 – Michigan
• No. 10 – Massachusetts

The least spooky state in the U.S. is Wyoming, which came in at No. 50, joined by nearby states Montana and South Dakota. New Mexico (No. 46) and Vermont (No. 47) were the other two states on the list’s bottom five.

The full report can be found on backyardoas.com.