Thieves make off with $100k in merchandise in South Coast Plaza ‘flash mob’ incident

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is the latest target of a string of “flash mob” thefts, after a group of suspects entered a Gucci store Wednesday night, grabbed $100,000 in high-end handbags and fled to vehicles waiting outside.

Costa Mesa Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jose Morales said officers were dispatched to the retail complex, located at 3333 Bristol St., at 7:18 p.m. and responded to the scene within a matter of minutes but were unable to locate the suspects.

Witnesses described seeing anywhere from five to 10 individuals, dressed in hooded sweatshirts and wearing masks to obscure their faces, enter the store and select a number of bags before fleeing on foot toward an exit where multiple vehicles were waiting.

“They just went in, grabbed what they could and ran out,” Morales said Thursday. “There were no weapons and no injuries. Nothing was broken.”

The Gucci store is currently operating in a temporary location near Bloomingdale’s, as its permanent location is under construction. The new location, near the department store’s entrance from the main shopping area, is situated near an exit leading out to a parking garage, Morales said.

Representatives of South Coast Plaza acknowledged the incident was under investigation by police but did not comment on whether enhanced security measures had been implemented at the shopping complex in response to the thefts.

Wednesday’s incident was the latest in a series of so-called flash mob robberies at Southland retail centers, including a Nordstrom at Westfield Topanga Mall and a Yves Saint Laurent store in Americana at Brand in Glendale, according to City News service. Losses from those incidents have been placed at $300,000 each.

Another theft was reported Tuesday night at high-end denim store Ksubi in Hancock Park. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced in a news conference Thursday the creation of an interagency Organized Retail Crimes Task Force, which will focus on the organized retail crimes in the county.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said Thursday she planned to work with Costa Mesa police and the district attorney’s office to find an effective way to hold criminals accountable for such acts.

“We must not allow this alarming pattern of well-organized commercial burglaries plaguing businesses to continue,” she said in a statement. “With the sharp rise of burglaries across Orange County and the surrounding region, Orange County will continue to support and invest in law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”

Anyone with information regarding Wednesday’s incident is encouraged to contact CMPD Det. Matt Richie at (714) 754-5120.