A group of masked suspects wearing black clothing drove a stolen pickup truck and crashed into a business, ransacked the place, and fled the scene – this is the “car-ramming robbery” spree that has been happening recently in Southern California.
In the early hours of Friday (May 8), at least nine thieves drove a stolen pickup truck into a luxury consignment boutique, The RealReal, near Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. They quickly looted an unknown amount of high-end luxury items and then drove several getaway vehicles to escape.
According to a report from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the break-in occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, when the thieves rammed the vehicle directly into the storefront.
As of Friday morning at 11 a.m., the scene was still closed off. Since the store has a storefront made entirely of glass, employees were seen removing shattered pieces of glass, and broken glass littered the sidewalk.
A security guard, who preferred to remain anonymous, told reporters that there was a security patrol in the area at the time of the incident. However, due to the sudden nature of the crime, no one was able to stop the thieves who quickly carried out the heist and fled the scene.
The guard mentioned that, based on information from colleagues, the thieves used high speed to ram directly into the glass, causing the vehicle to crash into the walls inside the store. The reporter on the scene observed the damaged walls and cabinets caused by the impact.
During normal business hours, shoppers gathered in front of The RealReal store. When they heard about the incident, they were shocked. A nearby resident expressed, “This is insane.” They hope for stronger law enforcement measures to punish the thieves.
Police have not disclosed the specific quantity of stolen goods from the luxury retail store and the investigation is ongoing with no suspects arrested yet.
Meanwhile, in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, another “car-ramming robbery” occurred.
The Los Angeles Police Department informed reporters that they received a report around 3 a.m. on Friday of suspects driving a car into a store, where four individuals dressed in dark clothing swiftly stole items before escaping in a white pickup truck. No suspects have been arrested, and the case is still under investigation.
Over one night, thieves targeted two stores in Southern California, yet law enforcement has not indicated if there is a connection between these two incidents.
Just three days before the two car-ramming robberies on Friday, at least three shops in the Fairfax district near Melrose Avenue were also victims of break-ins. Melrose Avenue is a popular fashion shopping street known for its array of designer stores.
The consecutive break-ins occurred early Tuesday, with establishments such as Milk Bar, NailBay, and LALA’s Argentine Grill being targeted. The perpetrators smashed the storefront glass and committed theft. These three shops are located within approximately three blocks from each other and were all hit within the same time frame. The Los Angeles Police Department later set up a perimeter at the scene and successfully apprehended one suspect.
Due to the ongoing investigation, law enforcement has not released physical descriptions of the suspects or confirmed the total number of individuals involved, the specific quantity of stolen items, or the extent of monetary losses. Police have also not definitively stated whether there is a connection between the theft incidents that occurred this week.