Teens accused of stealing $106,000 worth of merchandise from Bellevue store
BELLEVUE, Wash. May 6 2024 — Four teenagers are accused of stealing $106,000 worth of merchandise from a Bottega Veneta in Bellevue, a high-end store popular for its bags.
According to Bellevue police, a group of teenage boys – 14, 15, 16 and 17 years old – committed the crimes. Right after the heist, BPD said they carjacked a woman at gunpoint.
The brazen theft took place at The Shops at Bravern. Ginger Goldman lives in the apartments above the stores. She said it’s especially troubling to hear the accused are teenagers.
“It makes me feel very sad because obviously, they’ve missed a step in their growing-up process,” Goldman said. “They are our future. I hope the kids involved figure out how to change their behavior.”
Mark Johnson with the Washington Retail Association said people only steal high-end items for one thing: money.
“They’re usually looking to fence them as fast as they can,” he said.
Johnson said thieves will list their stolen items online because they know someone will take the deal they’re offering.
“As a consumer, it’s very tempting when you see something that’s a fifth or sixth of what it would cost in the store,” Johnson said.
Those losses retailers suffer eventually impact customers.
“Retail theft is not a victimless crime. The cost of those goods that are absorbed by the retailer, it just increases the prices for law-abiding purchasers,” he said.
Johnson also mentioned cities miss out on tax revenue when products are stolen.
In 2023, the National Retail Association estimated thieves stole $2.7 billion of merchandise from Washington businesses.
Johnson suggested buying a luxury item at a discount from a reputable site like The RealReal.
“The RealReal goes out of their way. They work closely with authorities to ensure the product being sold on their platform isn’t stolen or counterfeit,” he said.
While this case is focused on a group of teenage boys, Johnson said there’s a huge web of organized retail crime theft. Much of the money from these crimes ends up funding other criminal endeavors.
Johnson said he expects retail thefts to go down in the coming months and years for a few reasons: they’re being addressed at the state and federal levels, and the police chase law will be relaxed in June, allowing cops to chase after people if there’s suspicion a crime has been committed.
