Thieves struck the Walnut Creek Apple store on South Main Street again on Thursday, this time in broad daylight and with at least one customer filming with a camera phone as members of the swarm gathered up and made off with 29 tablets, phones and computers.
Thieves made off with several devices and fled despite an effort to secure the door from outside the store – apparently by a bystander or store employee.
Witnesses said the four men, all wearing hoodies, ran out of the store to a newer model black Dodge Challenger and fled the scene.
The swarm netted thieves about $30,000 in stolen electronics. Employees contacting this site through social media declined to comment about steps the store has taken to prevent similar incidents.
Walnut Creek police said the theft occurred at 11:52 p.m., with officers arriving on the scene within minutes. No one has been arrested for the crime.
Have to commend the guy in the video who tried to close the door and keep robbers at Bay. Too bad a few more bystanders didn’t want to help or maybe it all happened to quick but one way for this nonsense to stop is citizens acting once and for all.
@Tim E – Quite right. Wondering if he was staff or civilian. We’re asking!
Again, wow! Any thoughts on how to stop this? I know it’s not an easy answer. It’s happening too frequently though. Should Apple have an armed security guard present? Attach all display merchandise to a cable? No hoodies in the store? I assume the employees are told to let the crooks take the merchandise and not interfere. Although the genius bar sure looked confused on what to do. My fear is that a customer jumps in to tackle one of these thieves and some punk pulls out a gun and an innocent bystander gets shot. Does Apple have a responsibility to provide its customers with a safe shopping environment?
@Jim C – Howdy, Jim. Those questions are raging on our Social Media pages right now and folks are coming up with all kinds of interesting approaches to theft prevention – from resurrecting Charles Bronson to remotely activated security doors. We would imagine each store has its own policy regarding theft and theft prevention, but from what we’re seeing the prevailing way of dealing with this sort of thing is to get the bad guys out of the store as quickly as possible.
I’m all for these jerks being caught and prosecuted [I know I know, Prop 47, etc], but this store is owned by Apple not the customers. While the thought of kicking some punk butt sounds appealing at first blush just imagine getting knifed while trying to save a MacBook owned by someone with the resources of Apple.
As this sort of robbery is rapidly becoming “a thing”, it’s Apple that should either hire full time security who are properly trained and enabled to stop/restrain the perps, or close the store. It’s not the customers responsibility to needlessly put themselves in harms way to prevent Apple’s capital loss.
I’m tough on crime, and dislike seeing criminals getting away with it – but bystanders getting involved isn’t worth it. All businesses have theft insurance, and lives can’t be replaced.
As far as businesses hiring security, it’s not cost effective. Most banks won’t even hire guards. Businesses are too worried about the bottom line (and rightfully so) and they’re willing to roll the dice.
Also – all products at this store (according to an employee) have “kill switches.” The products are useless.
@Danielle – Right. Which explained the “MacBook Dump” of discarded devices found in a parking lot after one recent theft.
Make that “all products on display.” Get back to work Danielle!
Not to blame the victim, but before getting worked up about customers and/or employees trying to stop these thefts, keep in mind how Apple chooses to display its wares and build out its sales space.
It’s my understanding that Apple can turn these devices off the moment they leave the store, rendering them useless. But I guess the hoodie hoodlum types don’t know this.
My friends says this is happening about every two weeks over there???
They don’t like talking about this down at Apple! Maybe the new store will have some better antithief products!!