The Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco’s Union Square was hit in a brazen smash-and-grab robbery just days after a group of thieves robbed a Louis Vuitton retail store in Chicago.
San Francisco police officers responded to Union Square shortly after 8 p.m. Friday (Nov. 19) after receiving calls that the luxury goods store was involved in a smash-and-grab robbery.
More than a dozen individuals partook in the burglary, taking the store’s on-display inventory before police arrived.
NBC Bay Area reported that the group of criminals smashed the door of the Louis Vuitton store, pushing the on-site security guard over on the floor before clearing the shelves of the goods.
ABC7 noted that San Francisco officer Robert Rueca said that police have arrested multiple people suspected of partaking in the crime; SFPD officers also responded to other reports of high-end retail establishments including Fendi and Yves Saint Laurent where vandalism had occurred Friday evening.
“Officers arrived on scene to a retail store in Union Square where they observed several suspects involved in criminal acts,” SFPD wrote in a statement. “Officers have arrested multiple suspects [and are] continuing to respond to other retail establishments, where reports of vandalism are occurring.”
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Videos posted on social media showed Louis Vuitton’s windows smashed and masked suspects carrying luxury merchandise to what appeared to be a getaway car.
The @LouisVuitton store at @UnionSquareSF “got emptied out,” says @yealenne. Broken glass litters the store. Most of the thieves got away in multiple cars… pic.twitter.com/VztNFMby2t
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) November 20, 2021
One video showed police officers on foot, catching up to a suspected getaway car and using their batons to smash its windshield and windows.
UPDATE: Here you can see 1 thief run off w/armload of merch from @LouisVuitton at @UnionSquareSF. But then @SFPD officers chase down, surround & break the windows of a getaway Mustang. “If you play stupid games, you’re gonna win stupid prizes,” witness @CARLITOSGUEY tells me pic.twitter.com/EOtnBDnLzs
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) November 20, 2021
Of course, Twitter had a few opinionated hot takes on the robbery.
Footage of Louis Vuitton in Union Square of San Francisco getting emptied. Look at how chill they are.
I could’ve been physically able to do this. Call me next time! pic.twitter.com/8maf4x6PPy
— Jenny, Girl from 4th ?, 鄰白廢物 ? (@JennyChachan) November 20, 2021
Meanwhile in San Francisco… Looters hit @LouisVuitton shop. Who says there is never a @sfpd cop around when you need one or two? pic.twitter.com/PhmIxXwgUG
— Stanley Roberts (@StanleyRoberts) November 20, 2021
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to “TIP411” to start a message with SFPD.
