3 arrested after brazen smash-and-grab attempt at Nordstrom at the Grove
Three people were arrested early Tuesday after thieves broke into a Nordstrom department store at the Grove mall late Monday, smashing one window and stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, authorities said.
Rick Caruso, the developer behind the Grove, confirmed there was a break-in at the Nordstrom but no entry was made to the Grove.
“Fortunately they could not enter the Grove and LAPD is pursuing,” Caruso said in a text message.
High-end retailers such as Nordstrom and Louis Vuitton have been targeted by brazen robbers in Northern and Southern California, raising alarm among authorities, politicians and retailers.
A KNBC-TV reporter spoke with a man identified as the Grove’s head of security, who said no other businesses in the mall were affected by the break-in, which occurred about 10:45 p.m.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the city’s civilian oversight Police Commission he was stepping up patrols around high-end retailers after the Nordstrom break-in. He said a group of 18 to 20 people stole $5,000 worth of merchandise after breaking a display window.
Video from the scene showed a sledgehammer lying below a smashed window alongside a few pieces of clothing and a bicycle.
The perpetrators fled the scene before police arrived.
Los Angeles police pursued a vehicle into South Los Angeles after the incident, and three people were arrested sometime before 3 a.m., authorities said. Moore said some of the stolen merchandise was found inside the getaway vehicle.
The break-in at Nordstrom was preceded by another smash and grab at a CVS in the 5800 block of South Vermont Avenue, LAPD officials said.
Six people entered the pharmacy, taking $8,500 in cash and three cash registers using “bodily force,” authorities said.
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