Suspects Steal More Than $50K In Handbags From Palo Alto Store

PALO ALTO, CA — A group of seven suspects came away with more than $50,000 in handbags from The RealReal store in Palo Alto on Monday evening, according to Palo Alto police. The incident comes weeks after two other similar burglaries in Palo Alto recently that took place at the Stanford Shopping Center.

Just like in the other two incidents at Neiman Marcus on May 19 and Louis Vuitton on June 7, the suspects fled before officers arrived. According to Palo Alto police, five suspects entered the store and ripped about 20 handbags off security cables while two others waited outside. When confronted by the store’s security officer, the suspects pushed him out of the way and one of them said, “Don’t make me pull the gun,” according to police.

However, police said that no weapon was seen. The suspects fled eastbound on University Avenue and tires were heard screeching on Waverley Street, the security officer told police.

Witnesses described the suspects as Black males in their early 20s, wearing face coverings and hooded clothing. Police did not release surveillance footage of the incident, because they said it “would not aid in the identification of the suspects.”

Police are looking into connections with the other burglaries and working with regional partners for other potential connections, according to a news release.