Up to ten young thieves raided a posh Gold Coast boutique and got away with tens of thousands of dollars worth of purses and other merchandise on Wednesday morning, according to a report. Police have repeatedly warned downtown retailers about a string of similar raids on high-end stores in the area.
Wednesday’s mob, which targeted the Saint Laurent store at 11 East Walton around 11:27 a.m., stole merchandise worth about $35,000 according to an initial estimate. They fled in two vehicles — a black Jeep Cherokee and a stolen black Lexus with Indiana license plates.
Area Three detectives are investigating the heist.
Chicago police have issued several warnings this year about lightning-fast strikes by teams that specialize in stealing purses, which are often sold via resale apps and online. Dior, Ikram, and Gucci have all been hit.
In August, a 73-year-old security guard was critically injured when a shoplifting mob knocked him to the ground at Salvatore Ferragamo, 645 North Michigan.
Last month, an employee at Bottega Veneta admitted a man into the boutique at 800 North Michigan. About eleven other men poured in behind the first. The crew collected about 35 handbags, which retail for thousands of dollars each, from the shelves and ran out the door, according to a property management company’s email to nearby residents.
Crews also hit Burberry and Moncler in September.
The Saint Laurent store has been hit before. A four-man crew snatched ten handbags worth $15,000 from the retailer in December 2019. The nearby Gucci store lost $17,280 to a theft crew later the same afternoon. Other than last year’s looting sprees, one of the biggest raids may be the December 2018 theft at Dior, 931 North Rush. An estimated $100,000 worth of merchandise was taken.
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