Berkeley Police Seek Help Identifying Apple Store Theft Suspects

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Police in Berkeley on Thursday asked the public for help identifying three suspects who have targeted the Fourth Street Apple Store during thefts in the past week.

Authorities provided photos from surveillance video of all three suspects. There were four separate incidents starting last week through Tuesday during items were stolen from the store.

The four incidents were as follows:

• 3/28 at 10:05 a.m.              $1,200 loss                           Case 2019-00016483
• 3/28 at 3:16 p.m.                3 laptops taken                    Case 2019-00016561
• 4/1 at 7:33 p.m.                  $15,000 loss                        Case 2019-00017488
• 4/2 at 11:33 a.m.                $5,000 loss                          Case 2019-00017494

"It's one of those things that's been an off and on issue, not just with Apple but also with other electronic stores," police spokesman Officer Byron White said. "We see it at coffee shops and outside eateries where they have outside eating. The snatch and grabs."

Witnesses said the men came into the store, picked out what they wanted to steal and then used brute force to grab the items from where they were secured to display cases.

Apple Stores around the Bay Area are regularly targeted for theft.

Police are asking that anyone with any information regarding the incidents contact the Berkeley Police Department's Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.