Berkeley Apple Store hit, report of 40 iPhones taken
"They were pulling cords, running to different tables trying to get as many as they could," a reader who was in the area told The Scanner.
Berkeley police responded to the Apple Store on Fourth Street on Thursday for a report of masked thieves who snatched an estimated 40 iPhones.
As of publication time, officers were still on the scene determining exactly what happened, Berkeley police said.
The incident took place just after 12:40 p.m. at 1823 Fourth St.
According to preliminary reports, the culprits showed up in a white four-door SUV. They were wearing all black with face masks.
Two or three people went inside the store and took dozens of iPhones, according to initial reports.
The getaway driver then fled onto I-80, police said.
A reader walking past the Fourth Street Apple Store when the theft happened saw two people inside stealing phones.
"They were pulling cords, running to different tables trying to get as many as they could," they said. "The employees stood back, making sure the customers were not in the way."
The thieves hopped into the white SUV and took off as Apple Store security recorded everything on video, the reader said.
Emilie Raguso
The Berkeley Apple Store has been a repeat target for thieves.
Last year in December, three men in hoodies and masks stole more than 40 iPhones from the store.
That happened in the same month Berkeley PD put a hold on its retail security program, which for years resulted in the posting of a Berkeley police officer outside the Fourth Street Apple Store.
Emilie Raguso
The Berkeley Apple Store was also hit in May and several times in August.
Last week, two men stole more than 30 iPhones from the Berkeley Apple Store before escaping in a getaway vehicle,
Earlier in November, The Scanner reported on two prosecutions linked to Bay Area Apple store thefts, but cases often seem to go unsolved.
This story will be updated if additional information becomes available.
