Burglars Steal Thousands in Merchandise in Robertson Crime Spree
Los Angeles’ high-profile fashion retail street Robertson Boulevard has not suffered from a major burglary in recent memory, according to the district’s shopkeepers, but that sense of peace was shattered in the early morning hours of Oct. 6, when thieves committed some brazen burglaries on the street.
The owners of Surly Girl, located at 116 N. Robertson Blvd., and Avedon, located at 332 S. Robertson Blvd., confirmed burglars stole thousands of dollars of merchandise from their places of business. A couple of other stores were reportedly hit by the thieves, but the crimes have not been confirmed yet.
In both crimes, burglars hurled big rocks or a slab of concrete at the doors of these fashion shops to gain entry. After the stores’ glass doors shattered, more than three men ran into the shops, grabbed exclusive items and placed them back into an SUV vehicle before driving off, according to the shop owners, who witnessed surveillance camera footage of the crimes.
The crimes were executed in under five minutes as the stores’ alarm systems went off. The thieves took off with an estimated more than $30,000 worth of handbags from Surly Girl, according to Alison Muh, the shop’s owner. However, they did not take off with the store’s jewelry, apparel, laptop computers and cameras, which were also in the store.
“If they were in and out in a few minutes, they knew what they were doing. It was like they were filling an order,” Muh said.
At Avedon, the thieves stole an estimated more than $40,000 of watches, jewelry and men’s apparel such as Agave-brand jeans and Belvest-brand suits. Avedon co-owner Yasmine Farmanara said she noticed a suspicious man meticulously examining labels in the store the afternoon of Oct. 5. The same items the man examined were the ones stolen Oct. 6. “The financial side is bad,” Farmanara said. “But the fact that someone could break into your business is especially rough.”
The Los Angeles Police Department did not return a request for comment by press time.
In other news of Robertson Boulevard, fashion boutique Yellowman will be closing, confirmed Roger Mui, the director of the store, on Oct. 8. Yellowman was located at 110 S. Robertson and sold the Yellowman brand of tattoo-inspired fashion. It was the only branded boutique for the New York–based label. The fashion label might produce pop-up stores in the near future, Mui said.
