robbery
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Thieves drive truck through Apple retailer's wall
We've heard of quite a few robberies at Apple Stores (and in its own twisted way, the idea makes sense -- despite the adage that 'crime doesn't pay,' laptops and iPhones are certainly easy to carry and very resellable), but this is probably the most brute force way we've seen it done. A set of thieves in Portland, Oregon just plain crashed a truck through the front window of the MacPac reseller there, and ripped off some iPads, MacBooks, and a few more devices from the store a few weeks ago. Fortunately, it sounds like things are as under control as they can be -- not only did the store's cameras capture the suspects on tape, but the police showed up within minutes, and the store's owner says that even though this has happened before, "the last person who did this we put away." So it sounds like justice will be served up, Apple retailer style, soon enough. Thanks, Patrick!
Thieves steal iPad, finger
Ugh, this is a grisly one -- Bill Jordan picked up an iPad for someone else the other day from an Apple Store in a Colorado mall near him, and as he walked away, some thieves grabbed his bag away so quickly that it took part of his finger off. Scary stuff -- apparently two young men followed him out of the store down to the parking garage, jumped him and grabbed the bag. There was a scuffle which Jordan's pinky finger didn't survive. After rushing off to a hospital, he was told part of the finger had to come off. We've heard of thieves targeting Apple Store customers before, and especially since the iPad is such a hot commodity, those bags can unfortunately make a big target. Be careful out there. Two videos (both in Flash, unfortunately -- sorry about that) on the robbery after the link below. [via Engadget]
New Hampshire man is victim of first recorded iPad theft
Someone has to be first, I suppose. Straight from the police iBlotter in Manchester, NH, the Union Leader reports that a broad-daylight iPad theft was perpetrated in the parking lot of a Best Buy on South Willow Street. Mohamed Aboutaleb of Dover had just bought his new iPad in the store (capacity and accessories not known) when he was the victim of a shove-and-grab theft. The teenage thief then fled with Aboutaleb's magical and revolutionary shopping bag via a getaway car driven by another teenager. While progress is being made on the iPad jailbreak (via Dev Team member MuscleNerd), these real-world lawbreakers are still unidentified and on the loose. Anyone with information about the iMugging is encouraged to contact the Manchester police department. As a public safety reminder, whenever you are carrying easily-identifiable high value packages around (such as an Apple Store or other electronics chain shopping bag), be aware of your surroundings as you return your purchases to your car or if you are using public transport. Putting your new gadgets in the trunk and proceeding to do other shopping isn't advisable either. To answer the question posed in comments: yes, you can activate MobileMe's location tools with your iPad to track it down, but that's not really an option if it's grabbed in the parking lot before you sync it up. Thanks Marc! Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/banspy/ / CC BY 2.0
Dumbest kids in the universe rob gas station for money to buy 360
According to a report from a Bellevue, WA news station, four boys, ages 11 through 15, were recently charged with armed robbery after allegedly holding up a local Chevron Food Stop using an airsoft pistol. The goal of their crime of the century was to yoink enough money to purchase an Xbox 360. According to the police report, the boys got away with around $200 -- just enough to purchase a 360 Arcade and no games -- before being caught by an officer shortly thereafter. The amount of thought that went into this thing is just staggering. By a stroke of coincidence, four men across town were apprehended after robbing a local GameStop to garner money with which to purchase Slurpees and Taco Dogs at a nearby Speedway. More at eleven.
Android photo backup app reveals burglars' identities, stupidity
Burglaries are an unfortunately commonplace event in daily urban life, but on some very rare occasions their outcomes give cause for celebration and maybe even a smile. Two young men from the Portland area, keen to get on the smartphone bandwagon without paying, broke in and stole a pair of Motorola Android handsets (along with other electronics) from a nearby household. What they didn't foresee, however, was that one of the phones would have the free Lookout app, which automatically backs up all photos taken with the handset to a user-accessible server every night. So, in the midst of testing out their ill-gotten loot, the criminals provided the phone's legitimate owner with enough visual clues for the police to swoop in and apprehend one of them. The search for his partner in crime continues, but the "gadget versus man" fight has already concluded with a clear win for what we presume was a Droid. [Thanks, John]
Even burglars enjoy playing DS
We're not experienced in the crafty art of breaking and entering, but we certainly understand the draw of games. That's why this story out of a Chicago suburb really didn't surprise us so much. See, some guy broke into a young woman's apartment over the weekend and proceeded to steal her stuff, but upon seeing her DS, took a break from his heinous law-breaking to check out what the handheld had to offer. It gets even more interesting, though. While he was engrossed in whatever DS game she had in the system, she ended up coming home from running errands, spooking the burglar. He then made off with only her pink iPod Touch, leaving her with a ransacked house and, thankfully, her DS system. We just hope he at least had the decency to not save over her game. [Via Yahoo; thanks, Greg D]
Using only words, man steals nearly $7000 of GameStop merchandise
It's totally possible at this point that a strange ploy to keep us writing about Modern Warfare 2 at least four to five times per day exists. WPXI in Pittsburgh today reports that Western Pennsylvanian police are still looking for a man who robbed a Meadville, Pa. GameStop of 100 copies of the game (and "a few other items") last Tuesday evening. According to the report, the man told the store clerks that his friend outside would shoot them if they called the police. Okay, first things first – how did he carry them out? 100 copies of the game, all by himself?! Those cellophane-covered boxes can get slippery when they're all stacked up! Assuming the games are in a box, that'd still be awfully cumbersome to maneuver out of a store. Second of all, where is this GameStop that has plenty of extra copies of any game on launch day? This whole thing stinks! Stinks, we say! [Thanks, Yahya]
Men dressed as Mario and Luigi rob a cab driver
While it's unbelievably tempting to litter this piece with allusions to the various Mario and Luigi properties, we're instead going to bite our tongues and tell the story of some less-than-gentlemanly gents who beat and robbed a NYC cabbie at 4AM on November 1. According to police reports, the cabbie stopped his car at a gas station when one of the four patrons attempted to steal money out of his pocket. He asked the men to pay their fare and get out, which resulted in the attack. In the video found on the NY Daily News website, two men dressed as Mario and Luigi can be seen assaulting the cab driver while another person in their party stands about, presumably watching for interference. The men are still at large and police are asking those with information to contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto NYPD Crime Stoppers, or text 274637 then enter "TIP577." [Image credit: Bob Dob] [Via GamePolitics] [Thanks, Adam]
Florida fugitive apprehended after attempting to steal DS games
A loss prevention specialist in a Florida Wal-Mart bagged themselves quite the trophy shoplifter this past week -- a fugitive named Daniel Larson, who was wanted for violating probation after a 2006 armed robbery charge. After being arrested and charged with larceny earlier in the month, he was released after presenting authorities with a fake I.D., and was placed on top of the Cape Coral, FL "Most Wanted" list. His illicitly acquired freedom came to a sudden halt following his attempt to shoplift $120 worth of Nintendo DS titles from a local Wal-Mart. A loss prevention officer noticed the odd, rectangular shapes jutting out of his pants, and subdued him until authorities arrived. During police questioning, Larson claimed he was stealing the games to support his heroin addiction. Then again, we wonder if that's really the true story. "Please, man," Larson might have said to the arresting officer, "don't tell them about my insatiable addiction for Imagine: Babyz games. I know! You could say I planned on pawning them to buy heroin! Please, come on, man. This would absolutely ruin me." [Image] [Via GamePolitics]
More from the police blotter: Sagemore Apple Store hit by burglars
While the past few days have seen a spy saga of a stolen laptop and a few rapidly recovered stolen iPhones, the story at the Sagemore Apple Store in Marlton, New Jersey is more of your basic "five guys vs. a plate-glass door." A well-organized 2 am robbery at the store netted the team a substantial haul of 23 MacBook Pro laptops, 14 iPhones and nine iPod touch handhelds. Even though the store was staffed with a security guard, the thieves were able to time their run right after his rounds, and clear the merchandise from the store in 31 seconds flat. Security video of the theft is in the 2nd half of this post. Anyone with tips on the identity of the masked bandits is being asked to call police at 856-983-1118 or the confidential tip line at 856-988-4699. Thanks to Justin for sending this in. H/T to ifoAppleStore, which (unbeknownst to us) also reported the story yesterday afternoon.
VA Apple store closed due to shooting, armed robbery attempt
The Clarendon Apple Store in Arlington, VA is closed today as police investigate a shooting that took place there this morning. The Washington Post reports that a woman was injured via a gunshot to the shoulder during an armed robbery attempt. TV station WJLA adds the detail that the victim was an employee who went to answer a knock at the store's rear service door.I've shopped at the Clarendon store, and the staff has always been unfailingly helpful and courteous. I hope that the victim of the shooting enjoys a complete and prompt recovery, and that the Clarendon team can also recover quickly from what must be a very traumatic experience.Via jdonels tweet, thanks Chris Anderson.
GameStop robbery foiled by ceiling, locks
How can we tell that the dude who attempted to rob a Pittsburgh GameStop last night is a real gamer? Just look at his methods: The would-be burglar climbed through air ducts and in through the ceiling of the store, Sam Fisher-style. But when he realized that both the front and back doors of the building were locked, he retreated through the same vent.A Nintendo Game Counselor consulted about the crime said that if the thief had looked inside the glowing sphere in the corner of the store, he would have found a blue key for the door. Ouch, random criminal, so close.[Thanks, David]
Attempted GameStop robbery ends safely
In one of the happier endings we've seen regarding attempted robbery and video games of late, two suspects were arrested with no shots fired during a one-hour standoff with police outside of a GameStop in Solon, Ohio this past Saturday night. According to local reports, London McArthur and Javon Greer, both 19, entered the Cleveland-area GameStop around 7:30PM, brandishing a bb gun and "a pistol" in an attempt to rob the store. By 8:30PM they were exiting the store into the welcoming arms of local police. Unfortunately for the GameStop in question, this marked the second robbery in less than two months, with thieves previously making off with a slew of Xbox 360 games and about $3500 in cash. Both new suspects have been charged with one count of aggravated robbery and one count of kidnapping, presumably for holding employees inside during the standoff. They've also been charged with third-degree stupidity, we hope.If you're a concerned GameStop customer, we'd humbly suggest you investigate "The Internet." There aren't any armed robbers there and the games are (generally speaking) less expensive. What have you got to lose?[Via Nintendo Everything]
Man shot for his Wii in home invasion
During a recent home invasion at an apartment complex in Palm Beach County, Florida, a man was brutally beat and shot in the bicep by multiple assailants. They sought a variety of his valuables, demanding jewelry, money, and other items from the victim before attacking. In the end, the robbers made off with about $70 and his Nintendo Wii. The two individuals could not be identified by the victim, who was last listed as stable in St. Mary's Hospital. The two robbers made their way into the apartment through an unlocked door. It goes to show that if you live in an apartment, always lock your door. Also, don't let anyone see you throwing away a Wii box.[Via Go Nintendo]
Job seekers nab Wii from retirement home
You can't get much lower than this. A retirement home in Ottawa, Ohio, was recently robbed for its Wii. Two women walked into the retirement home, seeking job applications, but ended up leaving with more than a job. They nabbed the home's Wii console. As one might imagine, the folks at the home enjoy playing Wii Sports, particularly the Bowling and Baseball games. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending. Several of the home's inhabitants were able to identify the two women, and police were able to track them down and recover the Wii. See also: Children's home robbed, local businessman replaces stolen Wii
Thieves steal $10,000 of gear from an Apple Store
Thieves broke into an Apple Store in Palo Alto, California, and within two minutes had nabbed $10,000 worth of gear, including six laptops (gotta be MacBook Pros, right?) and two iPhones. And apparently they trucked right over to Los Gatos, and did the same thing about an hour later. There's no dollar figure from the second robbery, but more laptops and iPhones were stolen.It's actually surprising this kind of thing doesn't happen more often, though I'm also surprised the thieves were able to duck in and out of the store in two minutes -- I've been to many Apple Stores, and I don't think I could carry out $10,000 worth of stuff and be gone in just two minutes.But I guess as long as there's something expensive around, someone will try to steal it. Cops have a car description on these guys, and having gotten away with two robberies already, it's probably a good guess they'll try again. Only a matter of time before they're caught.[via Techmeme]
Sacramento cops seek game store robbers
Sacramento police are investigating the robberies of five game stores (three identified as GameStops) that took place over several days, each one involving employees and customers getting held up at gunpoint. Police believe the robberies may be related because in each case, "at least two men" entered with shotguns and demanded money from the store and customers. All the robberies occurred between 6-9PM, so it's probably best to avoid game stores in the area during those hours until the criminals are caught. Police are offering a reward for helping to catch the robbers. No word if the shotgun-wielding desperadoes were asked if they'd like to pre-order anything during the commission of the crimes.[Thanks, Kip]
Thieves caught on tape stealing Wii and PS3 consoles from Gamestop
A couple of criminals recently hit a Gamestop, snatching up as many Wii and PS3 consoles as their thieving little arms could carry. It's not disclosed where this Gamestop is located, so we can't pinpoint the place this robbery occurred, but know that these two dudes made off with quite a considerable amount of consoles. Sadly, the authorities have not caught up to these two yet. So much for a happy ending, eh?Head past the break to see the store surveillance footage catching them in the act.
Burglars break into restaurant, steal HDTV, leave money / food behind
Not that we'd have any expert knowledge in the wide world of theft, but this just doesn't seem like the best way to go about snagging a new HDTV. At any rate, an undisclosed amount of thieves reportedly drove a truck (or large SUV... it was dark outside, okay?) into the front door of Los Tres Amigos restaurant in a small Pennsylvania town, broke the glass, ganked a 47-inch Insignia HDTV and "fled the scene." For starters, you'd risk prison for an Insignia? Really? Second, with LCD prices tanking like never before, don't you think you could've waited until Black Friday to get yourself a steal? Sigh.[Image courtesy of Hotel Interactive]
Thief says PS3 needed to stop hostage situation
There are stories about stolen PS3s ... and then there's this story. A man who stole a PS3 system from a St. Louis EB Games store at gunpoint told the clerk that he needed the system to "save his family." According to KSDK, the theif told the clerk that "his family was being held hostage" and only the PS3 would save them.The police arrived shortly after the incident, but the thief had already vanished. Was he a real victim of a hostage situation -- or was he a thief that just wanted to tell an interesting story? Until the police find him, we'll never really know.[Thanks, Gambit07!]
