Police investigate $112,000 worth of high-end handbags stolen from mall
Surveillance pictures show a woman and four men Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, Police hope you can help them identify. They say the group worked together to steal $112,000 worth of high-end handbags from stores at King of Prussia Mall. “No, I’m not surprised,” said Tatiyanna Mason when she heard about the heist. She and Wayne West had just left the mall. “Everybody want the Gucci, the Louis Vuitton. They want all the good stuff,” said West. Police say there have been three incidents so far. One happened in December and the most recent two happened in April. “In all three incidents people went into the store, quickly grabbed merchandise and quickly fled to awaiting vehicles,” said Detective Andrew Rathfon. He says the third time the suspects hit they got away with 26 bags at once and were more aggressive. Police say that’s the reason store loss prevention associates and mall security didn’t pursue the suspects. “There was a threat of violence by one of the individuals toward an LP associate said Detective Rathfon. Surveillance cameras also captured these three cars police believe were used in the getaway. They say two maybe rentals. “That was planned out. Got to be planned out,” said Terrence Lloyd. “King of Prussia’s security is kind of tight. Maybe they need to hire new staff,” said Lloyd. Anyone with information on the identities of the suspects is asked to contact the Upper Merion Township Police Department at 610.265.3232 or call this anonymous Tip Line at 484.636.3888. [Source: Fox29 News]
Shoplifter threatens to stab LPA in the neck
The Spokane Washington County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to find two females who stole merchandise from a Walmart in Spokane Valley in April. On April 9, Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a reported robbery at a Walmart. A loss prevention associate said he saw the two females at a self-scan register. The females appeared to be scanning one item, and then placing several in the bag. When approached, one of the females said she had more shopping to do and put the items back in the shopping cart. She then continued shopping while the other female left the store. A second LP associate then watched the female with the cart walk up to another check stand and start bagging her items. The associate started to approach the female but the suspect looked at her and said she would stab her in the neck if she said anything. The suspect then walked out of the store with the stolen merchandise. The females were driving a silver 4-door car, possibly an early 2000s Chevrolet Malibu. If you can help identify the females or have information on the incident, you are asked to contact Detective Darin Staley at 509.477.3160, and reference case #10046382. [Source: KXLY News]
Employee faces larceny charges
Officers arrested a Bridgeport, Connecticut, woman on larceny charges for making approximately 100 fraudulent returns, refunds and voided cash transactions while she was employed at Whole Foods, police said today. Jenisa Serrano, 25, turned herself in on an arrest warrant Monday following an investigation that began March 12 into a report of employee theft, police said. She was charged with fourth-degree larceny. “Officers spoke with loss prevention and learned Jenisa Serrano had stolen approximately $1,600 from the store,” Lt. Jillian Cabana said, adding that the thefts had been taking place since January. Serrano was released after posting a $7,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Wednesday, May 9. [Source: Westport News]
Shoplifting suspects arrested after crash
Three suspects were arrested early Monday after allegedly shoplifting tools from a Home Depot store and then crashing their getaway vehicle, authorities said. San Ramon, California police officers said they received a report around 6:14 a.m. of the shoplifting incident at a Home Depot. A loss prevention associate attempted to stop the men, to no avail. He did provide arriving officers with a description of the getaway car and a pursuit began a short time later. The suspects fled on Interstate Highway 680, but the pursuit was short as the suspects crashed about four miles away after exiting the freeway at Sycamore Valley Road. The suspects ran from the crash scene, but all three were apprehended. Police Sgt. Nathan Jones said they were identified as Kamoni Gaines, 26, Daniel Hooper, 26, and John Williams, 31. Williams, who was identified as the driver, was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, evading and conspiracy. Gaines and Hooper were also arrested on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy and Gaines for a probation violation. [Source: CBS SF Bay Area]
Burberry slaps US retailer with multi-million dollar counterfeiting lawsuit
An ugly legal battle has been brewing between one of America’s largest big-box retailers and one of Britain’s most esteemed luxury brands. While the fashion media has been busy speculating as to what exactly Burberry will look like under the direction of its new creative director Riccardo Tisci, the British luxury stalwart has been readying to take on Target in a fight over the retail giant’s “repeated, willful, and egregious misappropriation of Burberry’s famous and iconic check trademarks.” According to the $8 million-plus trademark infringement and counterfeiting lawsuit that Burberry filed in a New York federal court on Wednesday, Target has been selling products bearing “blatant reproductions” of Burberry’s world famous check trademark for over a year and will not stop. Turns out, after Target began selling an array of “products bearing unauthorized copies of the Burberry check trademark,” including “eyewear, luggage, and water bottles,” early last year, Burberry sent the retailer with a cease and desist letter, alerting it of Burberry’s exclusive rights in the checkered pattern. Fast forward several months from the date that Target received Burberry’s cease and desist letter and “despite being aware of Burberry’s exclusive trademark rights,”
Target began offering a number of scarves for sale, all of which bore Burberry’s legally-protected check print. Burberry asserts in its complaint that “the fact that Target continued its unlawful conduct by selling the infringing scarves within months of receiving Burberry’s cease-and-desist letter … demonstrates Target’s intent to continue selling infringing merchandise without regard for Burberry’s intellectual property rights.” It continues on to allege that “Target’s conduct is willful, intentional, and represents a conscious disregard for Burberry’s rights in the Burberry check trademark and a calculated decision to misappropriate the enormous goodwill represented by the Burberry check trademark.” While Burberry claims that “Target’s copycat scarves are of inferior quality, they are superficially indistinguishable from genuine Burberry scarves,” and as a result, are likely to cause confusion amongst consumers as to the source of the products. In particular, Burberry claims that consumers are likely to be misled as to whether the “infringing products are either affiliated with, endorsed or authorized by, or somehow connected to Burberry, or that the infringing products sold and promoted by Target are genuine Burberry products.” A representative for Target told The Fashion Law, “At Target, we have great respect for design rights. We are aware of the filing by Burberry and hope to address the matter in a reasonable manner.” [Source: The Fashion Law]
