Walnut Creek

3 Arrested Following Retail Theft at Nordstrom Store in Walnut Creek

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Three people have been arrested following organized retail theft at a Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek Saturday, police said.

In a press release, police said two San Francisco residents and one Oakland residents were arrested shortly after the incident was reported.

On Sunday, the Walnut Creek Police Department said via Twitter they are monitoring activity that indicates the same group of thieves who were at Broadway Plaza Saturday "are considering similar activity later today," the department said.

Out of an abundance of caution, the department will have additional officers and some stores may close earlier than usual business hours.

"There is no specific time or target known right now," police said.

The theft took place a the Broadway Plaza Nordstrom at around 9 p.m. Saturday. Nordstrom employees began calling 911 when approximately 80 people entered the store and began taking merchandise.

NBC Bay Area’s Jodi Hernandez was in the area when the retail theft happened. According to Hernandez, about 25 cars blocked the street.

In one video, people were seen rushing into the store before running back out with stolen merchandise and driving away.

Brett Barrett, who works at a nearby restaurant described what he saw.

“I probably saw 50 to 80 people in ski masks and crow bars," he said. "They were looting the Nordstrom right here. I had to start locking the front door. The back door. You never know. They could have come right in here.”

Two employees were assaulted and one was pepper sprayed by a suspect, police say.

The incident comes roughly 24 hours after several suspects descended on several retail outlets in San Francisco's Union Square.

No details have been released on the status of the rest of the suspects involved in the organized retail theft incident.

Walnut Creek Police investigators are reviewing security camera footage to try to identify more people involved in the crime.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Deng at deng@walnutcreekpd.com

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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