Berkeley North Face is being targeted again by retail thieves
Berkeley police are investigating several recent high-value thefts from the North Face Outlet on Fifth Street.
Thieves have hammered the Berkeley North Face Outlet in recent weeks, taking items valued at about $46,000 since mid-November, police say.
On Friday, a group of 11 men and women wearing masks went into the store, at 1238 Fifth St., and took about 30 items worth more than $24,000, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.
The group left at about 1:40 p.m. in three vehicles all described as light-colored sedans, authorities said.
Just a week earlier, on Nov. 30, nine men and women went into North Face at about 2:20 p.m. and took 100 or so pieces of clothing worth more than $16,000.
They appeared to be in their 20s and wore "a variety of jackets, pants, leggings and face coverings," police said.
The group left in three vehicles, police said, a small dark SUV, a gray sedan and a red sedan.
A few hours later, five women went into North Face and took nearly $3,000 in gear.
Earlier in the month, on Nov. 20, two women went into North Face and walked out with 10 jackets worth nearly $3,000. They left in a gold-colored sedan, police said.
Commercial burglaries often spike around the holidays and northwest Berkeley has been a popular target for thieves.
Overall, however, commercial burglaries are down nearly 30% in Berkeley this year compared to last year's spike.
There have been about 370 commercial burglaries in Berkeley in 2024 compared to about 520 over the same period last year.
Past coverage of North Face thefts in Berkeley
- Man charged with $10,000 retail theft from Berkeley North Face
- Police catch 'prolific' North Face retail theft suspect
- Woman charged with stealing $10,000 in North Face jackets
- BPD: Man hit North Face Outlet twice in 1 day, took $5,500 in goods
- Man charged with Berkeley North Face thefts of $24,000
- Group of 7 makes off with $19,000 in North Face goods
