Santa Monica Smash & Grab Investigated by Joint Organized Retail Crime Taskforce
December 5, 2023 9:06 AM
Santa Monica, CA – On November 27, 2023, at approximately 10:55 AM, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers were dispatched to the The Real Real located near the 200 block of 26th Street to investigate a smash-and-grab style robbery that had just occurred involving multiple suspects.
During their investigation, officers learned that four masked suspects entered the luxury resale location and forced their way past the front door security. Once inside, they used hammers to smash multiple display cases containing brand-name purses worth over $50,000. The suspects then fled the scene in a waiting vehicle.
In August 2023, a rise in organized retail thefts prompted the Santa Monica Police Department to join the Los Angeles Police Department in the formation of the Los Angeles County Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCT). This taskforce combines resources from various agencies to investigate and prosecute the organized retail theft rings that are frequently behind these crimes.
This theft incident is being investigated by the taskforce, which has arrested over 90 individuals for similar crimes. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Santa Monica’s ORCT representative, Detective M. Castruita at Michael.Castruita@santamonica.gov.
Reference DR# 23-111503
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