A group of brazen burglars in California were caught in a dramatic video smashing a pickup truck into a high-end store and making off with thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.
The truck almost took down a tree and rammed a large bench in Burbank as it reversed into the Magnolia Park, a footwear and apparel retailer, about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, security footage published by news station KTLA shows.
The driver then tried again and plowed through a security fence at 3500 Magnolia Boulevard, where 10 hooded suspects ran into the breached store in the crash-and-grab.
They stole about $70,000 worth of merchandise, including hats, hoodies and other items that start at $100, but can fetch much more on the black market, according to the news outlet.
“It seems like they had an idea of what they wanted to grab. They grabbed a lot of clothes and we carry a lot of premium items, things that typically sell out at retailers,” owner Miki Guerra told KTLA.
“It was honestly, I would say, impressive that they were able to pull it off, especially at the size of their group,” he added.
The thieves took off in several vehicles and remain at large.
The pickup truck, which was reported stolen out of Los Angeles, was later found abandoned.
Guerra said his business was broken into three times in 2018.
“We learned a lot from that, upped our security, had this scissor gate that deterred everybody for at least four and a half years,” he told Fox LA.
“I always said to the people that installed it that if someone’s gonna break through this, it’s going to take a car and I just don’t see a car fitting here, but they proved it so kudos to them,” he said.
“We’ve been going on eight years, and it’s like OK, maybe this is a sign for us as an opportunity to give ourselves a new look. It’s unfortunate, but it’s just a speed bump in what we’re trying to do long term,” Guerra added.
Meanwhile, police said the heist was likely tied to another crime in the city of about 107,000 residents located 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.
Security cameras at F22 Studios, a video production rental house on Victory Boulevard, captured about two dozen masked people trying to break into the building about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“We think there were about 24 assailants from our count, 18 of them made it into the business, and six of them remained outside in getaway vehicles,” CEO Lance Bowling told Fox LA.
“We turned the side door into a wall, so in the video you’ll see them ripping the door open, and then they’re faced with a wall full of insolation,” he said.
“They start ripping the insolation out and then they end up knocking the wall over,” Bowling added.
But the burglars came away empty-handed.
“They get in and it’s a Back To The Future-themed sound stage. There’s nothing to steal but some Marty McFly and Doc action figures, so we got very lucky they didn’t make it into the camera rental house which could have been millions in losses,” Bowling told the outlet.
He is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Burbank police are investigating both incidents.
