Brazen Thieves Casually Take $8,000 Worth of Merchandise from Vacaville Outlet Store
VACAVILLE CA June 18 2019 — In most robberies, criminals try to get in and out of a store as quickly as possible. However, the situation was much different at one Vacaville outlet store last Sunday.
The thieves took their time gathering merchandise as store employees stood by and watched.
“They’re not trained for this kind of thing,” said Steve Reed, former head of security at Arden Fair Mall.
The robbery was caught on cell phone video. The thieves walked into the Tommy Hilfiger outlet store and casually started packing bags with merchandise. Then the criminals strolled through the front door, grabbing as much clothing as they could carry.
“It’s pretty bad… I mean stores have insurance but still, that’s a lot of money,” said Vacaville resident Crios Tobal.
Police say the thieves took off with more than $8,000 worth of items.
Reed says more and more retailers are adopting policies that prohibit workers from intervening in crimes.
“There’s so much liability involved if you interfere. And then we’ve had occasions where people actually had weapons like guns and knives,” Reed said.
He says criminals are starting to catch on to this trend — and it could be why these slow-moving thieves didn’t seem too concerned about the repercussions.
“We need more security if they’re not going to change their policies,” said Sherine Johnson from Vacaville.
Tommy Hilfiger employees quickly notified police of what had happened but by the time officers arrived the suspects were gone.
Thankfully, no customers or employees were injured and for security experts like Reed, that in itself is a win.
“Eight thousand is nothing,” Reed said. “It’s just stuff. A life is worth a lot more than that.”
Police say the suspects took off in a newer model Chevy SUV that had a garbage bag covering the license plate.
If you recognize any of the suspects in the video — you’re urged to contact the Vacaville Police Department.
