Authorities in Los Angeles are currently on the lookout for over a dozen individuals involved in a Nike Store heist that resulted in the theft of approximately $12,000 worth of merchandise.

Video footage of the incident captures individuals with masks and hoods swiftly moving through the store, hastily collecting shoeboxes and tearing clothes off racks before making their escape.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the incident occurred on Sunday around 5:50 p.m. when a group of 17 suspects arrived at a shopping center on the 9800 block of South Alameda Street in five separate vehicles. The suspects, as described by LAPD, consist of four Black females and 13 Black males, all aged between 15 to 20 years old. The vehicles used by the suspects were identified as a tan Infiniti four-door, a gray KIA SUV, a white Honda four-door, and a black Audi.

The video footage shows the suspects using blue trash bags to swiftly collect stolen goods. In the midst of the chaos, the cries of a child can be heard. Notably, one of the suspects was seen wearing a distinctive hooded sweatshirt adorned with a logo featuring a bonsai tree and the words “Ritual of the Spirit.”

The Los Angeles Police Department has classified this incident as a “grand theft” and is actively investigating it with the assistance of detectives from the Organized Crime Retail Taskforce (ORCT) within the Commercial Crimes Division. Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the incident to contact Detective Juan Campos at ORCT.

The surge in organized retail crime gained momentum during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and has resulted in losses exceeding $100 billion in products throughout the United States, as reported in the 2022 National Retail Security Survey.

Source: (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)