PICTURED: Cops make first arrest after ‘flash mob’ of 30 thieves raided YSL store at LA mall for $400,000 worth of merchandise – as they release smirking photo of second suspect
- One arrest has been made in the robbery of an LA Yves Saint Laurent store
- Ivan Isaac Ramirez, 23, has been taken into custody while Brianna Jiminez, 21, is currently being sought by police in the August 15 incident
- The group involved got away with an estimated $400K from a Glendale mall
Police have announced the first arrest in the recent ‘flash mob’ robbery at a Los Angeles area mall where 30 thieves made off with $400,000 in YSL merchandise.
Ivan Isaac Ramirez, 23, was apprehended Thursday for his alleged involvement in the massive theft of a YSL store at the Glendale Americana at Brand.
Another suspect, Brianna Jimenez, 21, is still at large and is currently being sought by police. Her smirking photo was released by cops over the weekend.
No other suspects’ names have been released or arrests have been made.
Videos posted online from the August 8 robbery showed people in dark clothes and masks running into and then quickly out of the store.
The YSL incident is the latest in a series of recent ‘flash mob’ style robberies where large groups overwhelm employees and grab as much as they can before fleeing.
Ivan Isaac Ramirez (pictured) was apprehended Thursday for his alleged involvement in the massive theft of a YSL store at the Glendale Americana at Brand
Supect Brianna Jimenez (pictured) is still at large and is currently being sought by police. Her photo was released by cops over the weekend
According to police, Ramirez was arrested and booked on several charges including organized retail theft, burglary, grand theft and conspiracy.
During the shocking robbery, the thieves used no weapons and took off with hundreds of thousands from Yves Saint Laurent in under a minute.
In a statement issued following Ramirez’s arrest, Glendale Police Chief Manuel Cid said crimes like these are not acceptable in his city.
‘I assure all members of the Glendale community and the broader Los Angeles region that these brazen smash-and-grab robberies and burglaries will not be tolerated,’ said Cid.
‘This marks the first arrest related to this crime and there are more arrests to come,’ the police chief continued.
Footage from the robbery at the store showed a group of hooded and masked thieves running out of the shop with arms full of merchandise.
They sprinted through a walkway to the curb, where police said about 20 cars were waiting for them, and sped away in several directions.
One suspect seemed to have been stopped as he tried to flee by an Amazon delivery driver, who was seen tussling with the thief.
Videos posted online showed a group of thieves wearing dark clothing and masks running into the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm on August 8
The thieves ran back out with arms full of merchandise just a few moments later
The group sprinted through a crowded walkway carrying their stolen items
The brazen robbery occurred at the upscale Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale
But somebody off-screen could be heard telling the delivery person to just let him go, saying it is ‘not worth’ getting struck by a fleeing vehicle.
An employee later told FOX 11 that ‘all merchandise was taken in less than a minute.’
Speaking about the incident to KTLA, Glendale police Sgt. Victor Jackson said there was a ‘short pursuit’ of the suspects, but police did not locate any of them.
He described the robbery as a ‘flash mob,’ explaining: ‘In this circumstance, they kind of overwhelm the staff of the store. They all come in simultaneously.
‘The staff doesn’t know how to respond, they’re trying to figure out what’s happening.’
Jackson added there had to be at least 30 to 40 people involved in the scheme, noting there were some who went inside the store and got the objects and others who waited in the cars.
Robberies like this have become all too common in California, residents say.
In another recent incident, a group of about 20 to 50 suspects struck a Nordstrom northwest of La La Land and swarmed the location.
Footage taken inside the store shows men in dark hoodies and face masks ransacking the department store at Westfield Topanga Mall, even resorting to attacking security guards with bear spray.
A shocking video has captured a scene of mob-style mayhem, showing a smash-and-grab robbery involving up to fifty looters at a Los Angeles mall
Videos have rapidly circulated on social media, depicting the mob shattering display cases and grabbing high-end designer accessories, some still affixed with electronic security tags.
One of the thieves was even seen pulling a large metal display shelf behind him as he fled, with a luxury leather bag still affixed to it by a security tag.
The group sprinted to the door in an attempt to make swift exit from the store, securing as much merchandise as they can carry.
The thieves took off with thousands of dollars worth of luxury handbags and designer clothing, an LAPD spokesman told NBC News.
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