Police Return $3,000 Worth of Stolen Sneakers to WSS Store
Police charged four suspects with grand theft in a case involving a WSS store southeast of Los Angeles.
Officers with the Corona Police Department arrested two Los Angeles adults and two Los Angeles County juveniles, all male, on Dec. 2 after they fled with roughly $3,000 worth of “expensive shoes” stolen from the WSS store on 1107 W. Sixth St., according to a statement posted on Facebook. Police returned the merchandise to the Foot Locker-owned retailer. Photos documenting the recovery show more than a dozen sneaker boxes bearing the Nike logo and the iconic Jumpman emblem promoting the Jordan brand, and black garbage bags stuffed with stolen goods.
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Up in northern California, police arrested a 20-year-old who “attempted to punch” a loss prevention employee trying to stop the suspect from leaving with $961 worth of clothing and shoes stolen from the Macy’s store at the Hillsdale Shopping Center, about half an hour south of San Francisco. San Mateo Police said the suspect had taken apparel and footwear into a fitting room and then slipped out an emergency exit door wearing clothes “with the price tags still affixed.” Police charged him with second degree robbery because the use of “force and/or fear” escalated the crime from a simple shoplifting misdemeanor offense.
California and Nike are no strangers to retail crime. The state’s multi-million-dollar crime-fighting campaign has quickly shown results since launching just months ago. But opportunists hoping to make a quick buck flipping coveted sneakers routinely target the Swoosh, often stripping stores of thousands of dollars in popular shoes and logoed shirts and hoodies. Organized retail crime is getting increased legislative attention as lawmakers try to clamp down on gangs operating in concert to steal store merchandise for profit.
