Santa Clara Shoe Store Ransacked in Late Night Smash-and-Grab Robbery

SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- Dozens of burglars smashed into the doors of a shoe store Sunday night and stole thousands of dollars worth of shoes in the latest smash-and-grab robbery in the Bay Area.

After retailers in San Francisco, Walnut Creek and the South Bay were overwhelmed by thieves on a tear earlier this month, the shoe store Fix Kicks was overtaken by 25-35 burglars Sunday night, according to reports.

At some time late Sunday, dozens of burglars bore down on the shoe store, breaking the glass on the front windows and doors. It's unclear how much merchandise was taken, but pairs of Air Jordans worth over $1,000 were reportedly among the items stolen.

Santa Clara police later confirmed that they received 9-1-1 calls just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday night regarding a large group of suspects burglarizing the store on the 2000 block of El Camino Real. Arriving Santa Clara police saw numerous vehicles fleeing in different directions as they arrived on scene.

Police also noted that five days earlier -- on Nov. 23 at about 1:15 a.m. -- the same business had been burglarized. During both burglaries, the suspects forced entry into the store. During the Nov. 23 incident, a group of about 15–30 suspects stole footwear and apparel. In that incident, the suspects also fled from the scene in multiple vehicles.

No injuries were reported in connection with the two burglaries. As of Monday afternoon, police said no suspects have been arrested.

"As in all crimes, the Santa Clara Police Department takes these incidents very seriously. We have several potential promising leads from the initial burglary and are actively investigating all leads," Police Chief Pat Nikolai in a press release.

The two burglaries are currently under active investigation, so police said they were unable to comment further at this time.

Anthony Becker, a member of the Santa Clara City Council, released a statement decrying the burglary and demanded that something be done about "organized crime."

"As a leader of this city, I'm gonna do everything in my power to work with the police department, my staff as well as other cities too because we're all in this together, we're all combating the same crime," Becker told KPIX.

Anyone with information regarding the burglaries is encouraged to contact the Santa Clara Police Detective Adam Wilson at (408) 615-4818. Callers wishing to remain anonymous, may leave information on the SCPD Anonymous Tip Line at (408) 615-4TIP (4847).

In:
• Santa Clara
• Smash and Grab Robberies