Looks like H&M may have been on to something by closing the bathrooms after all, as reported on Thursday. Turns out that the Walnut Creek police arrested 3 people who were caught running out of H&M with a “large amount of clothing in their arms”. According to the police bulletin:
The officer watched the three subjects get into a nearby waiting vehicle. As he pulled up behind the car, one person got out of the vehicle and ran away on Duncan Street toward Main Street. Another subject in the vehicle attempted to flee on foot but was detained in the car with three other people. The officer saw numerous clothing items strewn about the car with security sensors still attached. An employee of nearby H & M identified several of the detained individuals as having just come from their store. Approximately $1000 worth of clothing was recovered and found to have been stolen from H & M.
Police are still looking for the 4th suspect:
He is described as a black male in his 20’s or 30’s, wearing a cap and a blue striped shirt. The subject also had some type of piercing between his cheekbone and his eye.
The second grab and run incident happened at Nordstroms Saturday night around 8:30 pm. This one was more serious and involved some shoppers who attempted to stop them from escaping. According to the Walnut Creek police report:
Witnesses told officers Black and an unidentified female entered Nordstrom and selected armloads of high-end purses. They ran from the store with the purses setting off a security sensor alarm. Black pushed past customers entering the store as he fled. A customer tried to grab Black’s arm and Black pepper sprayed him in the face. A second passerby tackled Black as he ran toward a waiting vehicle. Black attempted to pepper spray him as well so he struck Black several times in self defense. The two fought for a few moments until other citizens and a Loss Prevention Officer arrived to help detain Black. Officers recovered a knife, a can of pepper spray and several burglary tools from Black when he was arrested.
Two of the good samaritans were treated at the scene for minor injuries and released.
Over $10,000 worth of high-end purses were recovered and returned to Nordstrom.
This reminds me of the flash mob robberies that are being coordinated via social media, and certainly bolder than the quiet shoplifting incidents that involves slipping an item or two under one’s clothing. I wonder what I would have done had I been shopping at these stores at the time. Would I have had the gumption to get involved? Unless someone’s life is being threatened maybe it would have been better to just call 911? What would you have done in this situation?