You’re guarding it wrong. Burglars have gotten away with what law enforcement said was $500,000 worth of merchandise, including iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches, after they cut a hole through a shop’s bathroom to gain access to its neighbor, an Apple Store, at Alderwood Mall. According to a map of the mall, this Apple Store is located between a Chico’s and an espresso machine store called Seattle Coffee Gear, which is where the burglars breached through. While the theft happened after 7 p.m. on Sunday, Apple employees were not aware of the extent of the theft until the next morning, Lynnwood police reported.
“Our front door was locked. They pried our front door open,” Seattle Coffee Gear Regional Manager Eric Marks explained. “[It was a] 24 by 18 hole cut in the wall into what appears to be the back room of the Apple store. I’m surprised we were the conduit for them to get to the Apple store. I had no clue we were so close or adjacent to them.”
“Approximately 436 iPhones in total were taken out of the back,” said LPD Communications Manager Maren McKay. “In total about $500,000 worth of merchandise was stolen and that’s iPhones, iPads, Apple watches.”
“From the masks that the folks were wearing, that there were no fingerprints left behind,” McKay added.
From a KOMO News report:
Burglars who got away with more than 400 electronics from the Apple retailer at Alderwood Mall made their entry point by cutting through the bathroom wall of the neighboring espresso machine store, the Lynnwood Police Department (LPD) confirmed.
The owner of the neighboring business says he’s grateful no one was hurt because the $500,000 theft happened while the store was closed. They’ve never dealt with anything like this in their five years in business at the mall, he said.
Brookfield Properties, the company that runs the mall, told KOMO News this was an isolated incident and claims it has a robust security program.
Discussion (1 reply)
Join Discussion →I'm more curious if the thieves were caught. I mean all of those IMEI numbers have to be on record so that means all of that hardware except for maybe the laptops are largely useless.
I love that the mall owners claim a robust security system. That lets thieves walk out with almost 500 assorted cell phones and tablets.... at night...
I mean seriously, do they have common record of that. Not to mention the coffee shop states that their door was pried open. There are some VERY BASIC security steps that would have alerted to that. Not to mention I would suspect that was done from the employee entrance side or back hall of the mall. Where cameras should ALSO be set up and recording and monitored at least by a decent off site security company.
Sigh... such a preventable and useless crime. I mean I'll give it to the criminals for thinking it through and executin well. I suppose they have the hardware/experteiese to reset the IMEI numbers and unlock the phones to use a 3rd party storefront. Something apple doesn't own or track.
Because if so... that's 500 burner phones released to the wild.