Tens of thousands of dollars in electronics were stolen from the downtown Palo Alto Apple store over the weekend, police said Monday.
The first theft occurred on Saturday shortly after 7 p.m. Eight black males between the ages of 16 to 25 in hoodies entered the store at 340 University Ave. where they grabbed new demo iPhones and various other electronics collectively valued at about $57,000, according to Palo Alto police Agent Sal Madrigal. The group fled in multiple vehicles.
The store was burglarized less than 11 hours later. A passerby called police around 5:50 a.m. Sunday to report the store’s front glass door was smashed, he said.
Investigators determined the burglar or burglars entered the store by shattering the door with either river rocks or coconut-sized boulders, Madrigal said. iPhones, iPads and other items valued at less than $10,000 were stolen.
None of the suspects have been identified or arrested in either incident, Madrigal said.
Anyone with information about either theft is asked to call the department’s 24-hour dispatch center at 650-329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent by text message or voicemail to 650-383-8984. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the police’s free mobile app, downloadable at bit.ly/PAPD-AppStore or bit.ly/PAPD-GooglePlay.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct estimated amount of merchandise stolen in a break-in reported during the early-morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 23.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct estimated amount of merchandise stolen in a break-in reported during the early-morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 23.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct estimated amount of merchandise stolen in a break-in reported during the early-morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 23.
The continued robberies at the University Avenue Apple store are beginning to pose a threat to public safety. Sooner or later a customer will be tempted to intervene as a crime is occurring, thus exposing himself / herself to injury from one or more of the criminals. (That would set up one colossal lawsuit because of Apple’s failure to post adequate security personnel and adopt protective measures.) What is the store security team doing to prevent these brazen broad-daylight acts? It’s on the edge of making me afraid to shop there any more.
Where is the security alarm that should activate if a window is shattered? It seems bizarre that it was a passerby that had to alert the PAPD about the burglary…
“Where is the security alarm that should activate if a window is shattered? It seems bizarre that it was a passerby that had to alert the PAPD about the burglary…”
Apple didn’t pay their alarm permit…
From the PA weekly article…”Eight black males between the ages of 16 to 25 in hoodies entered the store at 340 University Ave. where they grabbed new demo iPhones and various other electronics collectively valued at about $57,000, according to Palo Alto police Agent Sal Madrigal. The group fled in multiple vehicles.”
The items stolen will probably be sold on the ‘black market’.
Apple should take actions to prevent those burglary, or at least train the staff and station more security measures to scare off burglars. Otherwise, their sitting there doing nothing encourages burglars, while charges premium to their customers. That’s not social responsible.
@ Sophie – This is just a little income redistribution, no worries.
Lessons from Lululemon 100 yards up the street. Even our banks get robbed.
Sorry to say, I’d rather that it happens to these businesses than to me.
Be careful what you wish for. Imagine there was no place left to rob but your home.
The retail merchandise and front window were insured. No loss to Apple or its stockholders.
High-end/status-oriented goods are always prone to theft and there will always be a market for them.
No solutions in sight except don’t buy stolen goods (even is the price is right) and have better security provisions at the store.
> @ Sophie – This is just a little income redistribution, no worries.
Yes. The poor and/or displaced robbing from the wealthy to make ends meet. It’s been going on for centuries.
This is happening to Apple stores so frequently now, that I am shocked that the company is not doing more to protect its employees from violence. Sure the products and building are insured, but how do you reimburse employees after violent attacks. Even if the company orders employees to get out of the way when these burglaries happen, the events are so chaotic that something is bound to happen. Didn’t Apple promise to disable their products to make them valueless to thieves?
> High-end/status-oriented goods are always prone to theft and there will always be a market for them.
Probably why we rarely hear of Samsung/LG cell phone related thefts.
The same goes with watches. People steal Rolexes…rarely a Timex.
The material world is very focused on labels and perceptions of affluence.
No wonder certain items are more prone to theft than others.
Some people are all for show. Plastic people at best.
>> “The poor and/or displaced robbing from the wealthy to make ends meet.”
Nonsense. These robberies are for kicks and excitement. Status. A challenge. A game.
I would not say this about shoplifting a loaf of bread.
Thieves steal Apple products because they are very easy to resell. I do not know why Apple product buyers are more willing to buy stolen goods than other brand buyers.
>>Thieves steal Apple products because they are very easy to resell.
At a 100% mark-up regardless of asking price.
In terms of profit margins, it’s the best business model in the universe.
>>>I would not say this about shoplifting a loaf of bread.
Jean Valjean would agree.
Palo Alto is now suffering now the problems that large urban areas suffer. The mindset has been that urbanization, or “vibrancy”, which Liz Kniss is fond of using, is the best thing for Palo Alto. PAF and likeminded even suggest that Palo Alto would atrophy and die unless it agrees to a gigantic urbanization wave. Well, guess what, urbanizati
Palo Alto is now riddled with daily crime. Not the same type of crime EPA and E. Oakland are experiencing, but it is far from being safe anymore. Those who so desire urbanization and massive development are getting their wish, but remember the old saying:Be careful what you wish for.
That is police job to catch the thieves.
“The group fled in multiple vehicles.”
Could the police get the license number of the vehicles from security camera? or there is no camera around the store or shopping mall? Don’t believe it.
Checked Palo Alto PD’s Twitter account https://twitter.com/PaloAltoPolice They seem didn’t bother to call for witnesses.
Nothing seemed happening. All is good and well. Are they supposed to do something?
Smash & steal burglaries are a common occurrence when it come to high-end, desirable merchandise (i.e. home electronics, jewelry/watches, Apple products etc.).
It’s the sign of the times…with a few exceptions, everyone seems to be striving to appear upwardly-mobile in their appearances.
We live in a Veblen-oriented world.
> This is happening to Apple stores so frequently now, that I am shocked that the company is not doing more to protect its employees from violence.
All they need to do is hire some retired Blackwater security staff and add a couple of Dobermans for pursuit purposes.
End of crime sprees.