The Lululemon store in Fresno, California, is the latest to be hit by a gang of women who this time stole $17,000 worth of yoga pants in the middle of the day. The popular athletic wear brand has had a rash of robberies all of the state of California, and this time the women were caught on tape.
People is reporting that the band of three women stole 148 pairs of yoga pants at 3 p.m. on Sunday as customers and employees watched. The Fresno Police Department has now released the surveillance tape that shows the women entering the store, per ABC News .
“On 7-22-18 at 3 p.m. the suspects entered a business in [the] area of W. Shaw Ave. and N. Palm Ave. and stole over $17,000 worth of clothing,” police said in a statement in the video. “If you recognize the suspects or have information regarding this theft contact Detecting Irving at 621-6545 or Crime Stoppers at 498-STOP.”
The three women walked into the store casually with duffel bags and proceeded to fill them with the more expensive yoga pants which were located near the back of the busy store as customers and employees stood frozen.
Yoga pants-loving thieves rob 13 Lululemon stores in $50,000 heist https://t.co/qlCCFjWHbV
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 25, 2018
Christine Brown, a local yoga instructor, told KFSN that she stayed put as the robbery took place.
“For me, I was just shocked, and I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do.”
Brown adds that everyone was in shock that the robbery was happening right in front of them.
“The manager was just trying to keep everything calm, saying ‘It’s okay, it’s okay.’”
The Fresno Police believe that the women involved are part of a group that is doing this all over the Bay area.
Police in California are searching for three suspects who walked into a Lululemon shop and loaded up their bags with nearly 150 pairs of yoga pants worth an estimated $10,000.
Authorities believe the trio may be part of a ring targeting high-end apparel stores in the Bay Area. pic.twitter.com/8MmCoRY0pd
— ABC News (@ABC) July 25, 2018
The Daily Beast says that 13 Lululemon stores have been hit, including ones in Berkeley, Gilroy, Walnut Creek, San Jose, San Mateo, Stanford, and now Fresno. Officer Byron White of the Berkeley Police Department says that the targeted yoga pants are around $100 a pair and that corporate policy prevents employees from challenging alleged thieves once they have left store property.
“They walk into the store, a group of two or three come in with bags, and they start filling those bags with items.”
In the robbery in Fresno, the manager reportedly did not try to stop the women who did not seem to be armed. White says that police believe that the robberies are related, but they cannot be positive.
“We know that many of them are related. I can’t say that they’re all related but many of them are.”
Officer White says that the Walnut Creek store has been robbed twice, and the second time, police stopped a car with two women, a man, and loot from the Berkely store.
Lt. Joe Gomez of the Fresno Police Department says they have a theory that it’s all the same crew.
“They believe it’s related to a crew that has hit Lululemon in the Bay Area.”
If you recognize anyone in this tape, please contact Detecting Irving at 621-6545 or Crime Stoppers at 498-STOP.
