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Four people were arrested Thursday for ransacking a Nike store and stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in Irvine.
The suspects were identified by Irvine police as:
– Kristen Jamie Himbarger, 19, of Los Angeles
– China Celeste Morris, 24, of Highland
– Anaiya Syrai Cole, 19, of San Pedro
– Unidentified female juvenile, 14
Video of the theft shows the suspects entering the store and grabbing armfuls of clothing off store racks and shelves including hoodies, pants, shirts, sports bras, and more.
The thieves quickly gathered the merchandise throughout the store before calmly walking out the door. The amount of stolen merchandise was estimated at around $3,000.
The suspects are believed to be a part of an organized retail crime group responsible for previous Nike store thefts in Irvine, Carlsbad and San Clemente, police said.
Around $11,000 in merchandise was estimated to be stolen during those thefts.
Over the last several months, robberies and thefts, specifically “flash mob” styles, have been on the rise throughout Southern California.
In most flash mob thefts, a large group of thieves will overwhelm store employees and security guards while grabbing as many items as possible before fleeing. Their hauls often exceed $100,000 since many of the targeted stores are high-end retailers.
The continuing thefts prompted the creation of an Organized Retail Crime Taskforce in August to stop the rising number of group robberies targeting retailers. The task force involves several law enforcement agencies and will not only focus on the suspects robbing retailers, but also on those who purchase the stolen goods online, officials said.
Earlier this month, state officials announced that $267 million was approved to be sent to 55 cities and counties to crack down on smash-and-grab thefts, marking the state’s largest investment to combat organized retail crime.
In September, county officials approved a $15.6 million grant to combat the rising number of smash-and-grab thefts specifically targeting L.A. County retailers.
Full video of the robbery can be seen in the video player above.
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