Smash-and-grab robbers coordinated crimes on social media

July 30, 2024 4:11 PM PT

Eight people involved in a string of high-end “smash-and-grab” robberies across Southern California were sentenced to state prison, the result of a multi-agency effort designed to tackle a rash of retail thefts in the region.

Among those convicted were people involved in the flash-mob style robbery of Nordstrom at the Westfield Topanga Shopping Center last year, where a mob of about 50 people ransacked racks and display cases, rushing out of the store with tens of thousands of dollars in loot.

Videos of the brazen daytime robbery went viral and sparked outrage as people were seen running out, using bear spray and sedans with no license plates to make their getaway.

“It was disturbing and shocking and unacceptable,” Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said during a news conference Tuesday. “If you put our communities at risk, you’ll be held accountable.”

The eight people were involved in multiple robberies between May and August 2023 that struck high-end stores like Nordstrom, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and Magnolia Park, Bonta said. In all, more than $1.7 million in losses were recorded during the robberies.

Not all the defendants were involved in all the robberies, Bonta said, which spanned Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. But the defendants appeared to have communicated throughout social media, putting out calls to put together a “crew” to target specific stores at specific days and times.

The coordinated robberies didn’t appear to have a central organizer or a means to get cash for the stolen goods, Bonta said. Instead, defendants appeared to communicate through social media to coordinate when to target certain stores to avoid police — like flash mobs.

The crews, Bonta said, appeared to be casting a wide geographic net over which stores to target, hoping that the different jurisdictions would not coordinate investigations and link the incidents.

But Bonta said the conviction and sentencing of the eight individuals showed police departments across the area were also sharing information to make arrests.

“We’re coordinating effectively, working together, and more arrests are coming,” said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton during the news conference. He noted that some of the incidents involved violence.

The 25-count indictment that led to the sentencing included coordination among the attorney general’s office, Los Angeles Police, Glendale Police, Burbank Police, Beverly Hills Police, Newport Beach Police, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, he said.

Those who were sentenced:

Jordan Harris pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, two counts of grand theft involving incidents at YSL in Glendale and Nordstrom at Topanga Canyon Mall. He was sentenced to 10 years and four months in state prison.
Kip Henry pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at the Nordstrom at Topanga Canyon mall, and one count of grand theft at a Louis Vuitton store in Newport Beach. He was sentenced to seven years and four months in state prison.
Devon Perry pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft, including an incident at a Burberry Outlet in Riverside and at Nordstrom at Topanga Canyon mall. He was sentenced to five years and four months in state prision.
Ziona Famoso pleaded guilty to one count of robbery from the Nordstrom at Topanga Canyon mall, and two counts of grand theft from YSL in Glendale and Louis Vuitton in Newport Beach. She was sentenced to four years and four months in state prison.
Alana Hart pleaded guilty to assault and grand theft involving the Burberry Outlet in Riverside. She was sentenced to four years in prison.
Travelle Hamblet pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at Nordstrom in the Topanga mall, and was sentenced to four years in state prison.
Jason Smith pleaded guilty to robbery at the YSL in Glendale and sentenced to three years.
Briana Jimenez pleaded guilty to robbery at YSL in Glendale and sentenced to one year in prison.
Ivan Ramirez has also pleaded guilty to robbery and theft, but is set to be sentenced in 2025.

Although some of the defendants appeared to be coordinating what stores to target, there didn’t seem to be an organized effort in how the culprits would use the stolen goods, Bonta said.

There was no single “fence” he said, and many of the people involved appeared to be trying to sell the stolen merchandise on social media and in chat rooms.

The rash of retail thefts has become a hallmark of the crime problem in some cities.

Videos of perpetrators smashing display cases, or rushing out of stores with arms full of merchandise, have spread quickly on social media and in local news and political ads.

The effort marked the latest effort to crack down on the surge of retail theft crimes.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a Retail Public Safety Plan to target retail theft. In April, Newsom’s office announced the state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force arrested 474 individuals and recovered nearly $4.2 million of goods as part of 185 investigations in 2024.

The rash of flash-mob-style robberies in Los Angeles in 2023 prompted Mayor Karen Bass to announce another task force of local and federal agencies to target the thefts, as well as work with retailers to enhance security and deterrence measures.

On Tuesday, Bonta said that after the rash of high-profile incidents and online videos in 2023, the number of incidents appeared to be going down, which he credited to the rapid response of local police departments in generating arrests.

“The best way to deter crime from happening is to make sure that the people who are engaging in it know they will get caught,” he said.