2 charged in smash-and-grab at San Francisco Christian Dior store in Union Square
SAN FRANCISCO -- Authorities in San Francisco on Tuesday announced that the two subjects arrested in last week's early morning smash-and-grab burglary at the Union Square Christian Dior boutique are facing multiple charges.
The San Francisco District Attorney's office announced that 23-year-old Ahjanae Woods and 28-year-old Terry Nichols were arraigned Monday on charges connected incident last Thursday morning. According to the SFPD, at around 6:49 a.m., officers were dispatched to the corner of Post Street and Grant Avenue regarding a burglary in progress.
A witness told that three vehicles stopped in front of a retail store -- later revealed to be the Dior store at 185 Post -- with one of the vehicles crashed into the store.
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Video and photos from the scene showed the impact had smashed the exterior windows and damaged the security gate at the front of the store. Police said the witness told them multiple suspects got out of all three vehicles, entered the store, and emerged from the store with a variety of handbags and other merchandise.
All three vehicles fled the area and descriptions of the vehicles were transmitted to responding officers. One officer responding to the scene spotted one of the suspect vehicles entering a freeway on ramp. The vehicle crashed and all the occupants exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot. Officers were able to locate and arrest two of the fleeing suspects.
Authorities later revealed the suspects initially tried to break into the Fendi store located at 195 Grant Street.
Suspects Woods and Nichols on Monday each pled not guilty to one count of second-degree commercial burglary, one count of grand theft, one count of organized retail theft, one count of conspiracy and one count of resisting arrest.
"The early morning smash and grab at Christian Dior is one more example of how brazen some thieves have become," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a press release. "This conduct is completely unacceptable and will be prosecuted vigorously. I would also like to thank the San Francisco Police Department for their swift action in responding to this incident and arresting these suspects. We will not let up on our efforts to improve public safety and demonstrate our resolve to those who choose to engage in criminal activity in our community."
As listed in the overt acts of the conspiracy charge, it is alleged that at approximately 6:50AM on October 12, 2023, Ms. Woods and Mr. Nichols, along with other uncharged co-conspirators, arrived in three vehicles to the Union Square neighborhood and The group then broke the gate and doors at Christian Dior at 185 Post Street where .
Woods and Nichol are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on the matter on October 27. The District Attorney's office moved to detain Woods and Nichols pending trial because of the public safety risk they pose, which was granted by the court. No other suspects have been charged in the case, according to the District Attorney's office.
The incident remains under active investigation by San Francisco police. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
