Shocking moment brazen thieves ransack Chanel store in the Bay Area - as it's revealed rise of 'flash rob' mobs will cost California $19 billion this year

Footage showed a trio of masked men ambush the Bay Area designer storeThe brutes were seen raiding it for handbags, backpacks and pocketbooksThey fled with one of the thieves falling to the ground as shoppers screamed

This is the shocking moment brazen thieves ransacked a Chanel store in California – as it’s revealed ‘flash rob’ mobs will cost the state $19billion this year.

Footage showed a trio of masked men – dressed in all black – ambush the Bay Area designer store as frightened shoppers fled to the exits.

The brutes were seen entering the store and grabbing handbags, backpacks and pocketbooks off the shelves as a terrified cashier says: ‘Oh my god.’

They then sprint out with one of the thieves falling to the ground, as shoppers screamed and others yell ‘Get them!’

It comes amid a spate of ‘flash rob’ mobs in California, with them previously targeting Nordstrom Rack, Nike and Versace.

The video was posted by TikToker @Venricco is the latest smash and grab to hit the Bay Area. Saturday’s crime spree was at the Chanel Outlet store

The clip shows one of the thugs runnig with the stolen merchandise as a security guard is seen in the background

The footage was posted online, with one person saying: ‘Imagine paying hundreds of dollars for something and someone comes behind you and steals the same thing.’

Others just wanted to know the location where the latest smash and grab took place. ‘Where in Bay Area?’ a person asked.

Someone said, ‘looks like Stanford shopping center in Palo Alto.’ Another person chimed in ‘It looks like valley fair in San Jose.’

It is unclear the exact location where the incident took place and the amount of merchandise that was stolen.

The rise of the ‘flash rob’ mobs is a distressing new crime hitting soft-on-crime California and costing the state billions, guidance from the LAPD warns.

The incidents have become increasingly frequent, where detectives in the state’s largest police force are now assembling designated teams to tackle the problem.

The groups have been pillaging stores including Nordstrom, Nike and Versace.

In response to the recent spate, officials at the Los Angeles Police Department have  formed a taskforce, named the the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCT).

As of the end of last month, the taskforce had made eleven arrests in connection with four cases.

But detectives say the trend is not contained to the Golden State, and will end up costing America $30billion a year unless something is done.

Los Angeles has been hit with a wave of high profile robberies, including stores like Gucci and Saint Laurent

One recent incident included the robbery of a Nordstrom in Topanga Mall in the city, which resulted in a gang of more than 30 making off with $300,000 in goods.

Videos circulating online show the thieves grabbing luxury goods from brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and Bottega Veneta.

The gang had also deployed bear spray to attack two security guards at the store, allowing them to cause chaos.

Several individuals are seen yanking at security tagged goods and raid clothes rails as what appears to be a member of staff usher other shoppers to stay away.

Thieves are seen making for the exit, with one of them carrying a suitcase as well as other pieces of luxury luggage.

The gang had swarmed the store taking armfuls of items, some inadvertently dropping goods amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around shattered glass and overturned mannequins.

The LAPD later confirmed that the group had made off with items worth over $300,000.

The same Nordstrom had previously been looted in November 2021 when robbers again used bear spray on a security guard and stolen designer goods.

The smash and grab took place at a Macy’s on August 24 that involved up to 30 suspects

A thief is shown loaded down with stolen merchandise from the Nordstroms on August 12

The same Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga, was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer purses

Just days before that, bystanders looked on as at least 30 brazen thieves ransacked a Saint Laurent store in Glendale.

Glendale police said the thieves got away with $300,000 worth of merchandise, after they overwhelmed staff in under a minute.

None of the thieves used any weapons in the scheme, and no injuries were reported.

Footage from the store shows a group of hooded and masked thieves running out of the shop with armfuls of merchandise.

They sprinted through a walkway to the curb, where police said 20 getaway cars were waiting for them, and sped away in several directions.

One suspect seemed to have been stopped by an Amazon delivery driver, who was seen tussling with the thief.

An employee later told FOX 11 that ‘all merchandise was taken in less than a minute.’

Speaking about the incident to KTLA, Glendale police Sgt. Victor Jackson said there was a ‘short pursuit’ of the suspects, but police did not locate any of them.

The LAPD have since confirmed that arrests have been made in connection with this incident.

A study published last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, they said that there have been significant jumps in commercial burglaries in Southern California.

Commercial burglaries increased during the first year of the pandemic, after a 5.8% uptick in 2022 the rate is 15.7% higher than it was in 2019.

The most recent figures from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce show that Organized Retail Theft costs the state just over $19 billion.

This figure includes lost product costs, higher insurance costs, increased price of goods and unrealized wages.

In announcing the new taskforce, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in a statement: ‘As Chief of Police, my primary duty is to ensure the safety and security of our community members and businesses.

‘With that commitment in mind, we are taking an aggressive stance to tackle the escalating issue head-on.

‘The task force will consist of highly trained detectives with expertise in theft prevention, sophisticated investigative techniques, and community engagement.

‘Their mission is multi-fold: to eliminate the recent incidents of violent robberies at retail establishments, reduce incidents of organized retail theft, and foster a safer shopping environment for everyone.

‘Organized retail theft is a $30billion problem in our country.

‘Its impact not only affects businesses financially, but also has a broader impact on the overall sense of well-being of our community.

‘Most troubling recently has been the escalation of individuals using weapons, fear and terror as they attack retail establishments.

Governor Gavin Newsom, pictured here, has now announced a plan to inject additional funding to the state to help tackle the problem

Last month, Los Angeles Police Protective League spokesperson Tom Saggau told Fox News that he believes the surge to be due to a zero cash bail policy.

He told the outlet: ‘The elimination of cash bail for these types of offenses is really an invitation to these kind of folks who are inclined to break the law and inclined to do it so brazenly.’

The policy means individuals who are arrested and charged with a crime are then released from custody without having to pay bail money upfront.

Saggau continued: ‘Those folks need to be held accountable in a way that they’ve got to forfeit their freedoms.’

Last week, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan for an additional $267 million to help fight organized retail crime.

Newsom said: ‘Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs. With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions.

‘When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they’ll walk straight into jail cells.’