A Brentwood business says it has seen a bump in so-called grab-and-run thefts at its store, and it is worried about the trend getting worse.
The store sells fashionable, brand-name clothes; a hoodie can run almost $150. Twice in recent days, managers said people came in and grabbed clothes and took off without paying.
"We just had two recent grab-and-runs," said Brandon Nido, a manager at Mainland Skate and Surf. "They walk up to the counter and pretend their going to pay and distract one of us, and once they have that window, they run out."
The store shared two videos, one showing a single thief walking out with a shirt in hand, the other showing a group of thieves taking off with some of the store's priciest clothing.
"Billionaire Boys Club, that’s like the hottest brand right now that all these kids are wearing," Nido said. "It's expensive, $150, that’s what we usually see that’s being stolen."
The total loss at Mainland was more than $900. The store filed a report to security at the Streets of Brentwood mall. In a statement, the mall said in part it’s working with police and tenants to detour and prevent retail property crimes and to assist in the prosecution when possible.
Workers say they didn’t call police directly because the store was busy, and they doubted anyone would get caught. But when we spoke to Brentwood police, they immediately sent an officer out and said every crime matters, and the sooner it’s reported the better.
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Police say they have a good relationship with management at the shopping center, meeting once a month. And they patrol the mall regularly. The grab-and-runs typically involve a car, and police advised witnesses to try to get a license plate if it can be done safely.
