On October 4th, two stores in the Westfield Topanga mall, located approximately 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, were targeted in a flash robbery. The police have arrested 6 suspects, while 6 others are still on the run.
According to authorities, the suspects broke into the stores around 5:15 pm on October 4th and stole over $90,000 worth of merchandise within minutes. A video circulating on social media shows masked thieves taking handbags and clothing from the Valentino boutique near Nordstrom department store.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported that the group of thieves, wearing hoodies, brazenly ignored security, overturning several display racks. LAPD’s Retail Crimes Robbery Task Force swiftly arrived at the mall, working with other officers and mall security to identify potential suspects. Within 5 hours, the police located and seized a vehicle suspected to be involved in the robbery, leading to the arrest of 5 individuals in the car, including 2 minors, on robbery charges.
Residents of Los Angeles, 22-year-old Joshua Jones, 19-year-old Amaya McDonald, and 18-year-old Justin Jones were detained. Joshua Jones’ bail was set at $1.1 million, while the bail for the other two individuals was $150,000 each.
Before midnight, the Huntington Beach police discovered a second vehicle linked to the robbery. Stolen items were found inside the car, and detectives confirmed that these items were taken from the Topanga mall. 26-year-old Los Angeles resident Rajene Robinson was found in the vehicle and detained for possession of stolen property. LAPD stated that they are still searching for the remaining six suspects.
In August 2023, retailers at Westfield Topanga mall also fell victim to a flash robbery. About 30 thieves wearing hoodies and ski masks, some armed with knives, attacked the Nordstrom store in the Canoga Park community. The group swiftly stole high-end merchandise worth around $300,000 before escaping the store and fleeing in several getaway cars. The entire operation lasted less than two minutes. “They targeted handbags and high-end merchandise that they knew they could resell.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced in July that 8 suspects involved in the “smash-and-grab” robberies at high-end retail stores in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside County received prison sentences ranging from 1 to 10 years. Some of the suspects were involved in the August 2023 Nordstrom store robbery. The defendants admitted to robbing and stealing from Nordstrom, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and a high-end boutique in Burbank’s Magnolia Park, with a total value exceeding $1.7 million.
At that time, Bonta stated, “This was not random shoplifting but orchestrated criminal activity. These crimes not only harm our businesses but also pose a serious threat to our communities.”