Two hours after a group of 30-40 people wreaked havoc Sunday night burglarizing a consignment shop in in Larkspur — causing $250,000 in damages and lost merchandise — the same group is suspected of trying to do the same thing to a second consignment shop in downtown Palo Alto, according to police.
The Central Marin Police and Palo Alto Police departments are now working together on the case, after two suspects arrested Sunday following the attempted burglary in Palo Alto were found with stolen merchandise from the Larkspur store.
The first burglary Sunday was at The RealReal consignment shop in the Marin Country Mart Shopping Center in Larkspur.
In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, Central Marin police said officers were dispatched to the shop after a 9:13 p.m. call from a security guard reporting the sudden arrival of 40 people. Police said officers arrived within two and a half minutes, but the group had already fled the scene after smashing windows, breaking in and burglarizing the story.
Later that evening, Central Marin police were contacted by Palo Alto police, who shared that they had arrested two women in connection with the attempted burglary of The RealReal consignment shop in Palo Alto. The suspects had in their possession about $15,000 in merchandise believed to have been stolen from The RealReal in Larkspur.
Palo Alto police stopped one fleeing vehicle on Willow Road and Chester Street in Menlo Park occupied by two suspects, 20-year-old Keyonni Marie Jones, of Richmond, and 21-year-old Imani Kevyonna Barnes, of Vallejo, and the stolen merchandise. Police arrested both women on suspicion of commercial burglary and conspiracy.
Palo Alto police issued a news release Wednesday about the attempted burglary in that city. A private security guard called the police when 30 to 40 suspects tried to break through the front glass door of the business at 11:18 p.m.
Officers arrived immediately and the suspects began to flee in around 20 cars, before the group could break into the store.
Anyone with more information on the Palo Alto incident is urged to contact the Palo Alto Police Department’s 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413.
Central Marin Police Authority encourages anyone who witnesses suspicious behavior in and around retail establishments to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (415) 927-5150 or call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.
The FBI needs to get involved in solving these flash mob retail thefts, the perps need to broguht to justice and put in prison. I am 70 years old – I’ve never seen anything like this before – the brazeness of these robberies, just unbelievable. These criminals doing the flash mob robberies – like you saw at Nordstroms in WC, are organized crime – the feds need to move in and use the organized crime tools they have – like RICCO act – to prosecute these people. Yesterday a flash mob criminal shot at a local televsion crew filming the robberies, a security guard was shot. Sadly, not a single member of the Northern California Congressional delegation is calling for some sort of crime siummit to get a handle on this. Public safety is the number one job of elected officials – the silence you are seing from our elected officials, is a total disgrace. These flash Robberies are going to become the norm soon if we don’t get some action from the political leadership.
I hate to break it to you but the FBI is only good at setting up people and have no interest in cases like this. Look into their involvement in the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot; 12 out of the 13 arrested were either agents or informants. I’d post what FBI really stands for but I’m not sure the Mayor would appreciate it.
It’s the so called ‘political leaders’ and those that voted them into office that are mainly responsible for all of it. They have done numerous things to encourage, support, protect, and embolden criminals and crime.
Black Sunday.
Even Chris rock said theres two types. And one type should be shot on sight.
The Health Department should get involved and shut these places down. Non of the people who were participating in the flash mob got challenged for their vaccination card and ID. That’s the only way I see any elected officials get involved.
In my non lawer humble opinion.
They should use the Rico laws. This is organized crime!
From Richmond and Vallejo. That pretty much says it all.
Sometimes you have to wonder if store security is helping them with inside info.What a motley crew they have.
Horrible and so brazen. The natives are restless. Thugs need to be put away ion prison.
As far as I’m concerned, the politicians are directly responsible for this and encourage these criminals, since there’s no threat of punishment.
That being said, those politicians ought to be held just as responsible as the criminals themselves. Lock them ALL up.