Burglars ram SUV into Palo Alto Apple store in smash-and-grab raid

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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A group of 8 to 10 burglars reportedly rammed a rented Kia Soul into the Palo Alto Apple store over the weekend, stealing numerous Macs and iPhones.

The Palo Alto store, prior to bollards being put in place.
The Palo Alto store, prior to bollards being put in place.


The incident happened before dawn on Sunday, according to The Mercury News. Police found the Soul on the sidewalk with major damage, and a shattered hole in the store's glass facade. After setting up a perimeter officers located a Hyundai Sonata in an alley half a block away, with Macs and iPhones littered both inside and outside of the vehicle.

Only four people have been arrested so far, at least three of them from Oakland, and two of them under the age of 18. The two adults -- Shaquin K. Ferguson and Erica Jaynisha White -- are 19 and 18, respectively. Ferguson was already on parole for weapons violations, but none of the suspects have been linked to other Apple store thefts in the region.

Apple spokesman Nick Leahy said the shop would reopen later on Monday, even though its windows are now boarded up, and police still don't know the value of everything that was stolen or damaged.

Smash-and-grab robberies have been a recurring problem for Apple, as the company's use of glass facades can make it comparatively easy to break in. The Palo Alto store and some other outdoor outlets have bollards to deter against vehicles, but in the latest attack, the thieves simply drove onto the sidewalk of a nearby business first before veering in.

The outlet has been robbed several times in the last six months -- in those cases, though, the thieves just rushed in during store hours, took devices, then left.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,979member
    Idiots! I still don't get why people do this. Its really sad. 

    If that area has been hit really hard with thefts, maybe there needs to be a little more security there. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 35
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,195member
    Neither article says, but I'm curious if they rented the Kia themselves or just happened to steal a rental. The former would be hilarious from a stupid-criminal perspective.
    mike1lordjohnwhorfingorobotgocoolfactor
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 35
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    AppleInsider said:

    Smash-and-grab robberies have been a recurring problem for Apple, as the company's use of glass facades can make it comparatively easy to break in. 
    So, as usual, it’s Apple’s fault for building fancy stores. Fire Tim! Fire Jony! Use more wood!
    macxpressSolimike1doozydozenai46watto_cobrajony0
     7Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 35
    [Deleted User][deleted user] Posts: 0
    I want to know how the hell they fit 8-10 grown people into a Kia Soul!??
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 35
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,979member

    lkrupp said:
    AppleInsider said:

    Smash-and-grab robberies have been a recurring problem for Apple, as the company's use of glass facades can make it comparatively easy to break in. 
    So, as usual, it’s Apple’s fault for building fancy stores. Fire Tim! Fire Jony! Use more wood!
    If Steve were here this wouldn't have happened! /s
    awilliams87mike1SpamSandwichlordjohnwhorfindoozydozenredgeminipajony0
     7Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 35
    Solisoli Posts: 10,038member
    I'd think that a laminate glass that wouldn't shatter would be useful in this situation. I wonder if that's too costly to warrant the expense, and with insurance and media coverage of these incidents it might be financially advantageous to not use overly expensive glass that will need to be replaced but will keep would-be thieves from entering the building. I wonder if there are building codes that require that glass be accessible by emergency services.

    Police found the Kia Soul on the sidewalk with major damage, and a shattered hole in the store's glass facade. After setting up a perimeter officers located a Hyundai Sonata in an alley half a block away, with Macs and iPhones littered both inside and outside of the vehicle.
    Is there no low to which Samsung will not sink?¡
    lordjohnwhorfinjax44watto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 35
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,195member
    Soli said:
    I'd think that a laminate glass that wouldn't shatter would be useful in this situation. I wonder if that's too costly to warrant the expense, and with insurance and media coverage of these incidents it might be financially advantageous to not use overly expensive glass that will need to be replaced but will keep would-be thieves from entering the building. I wonder if there are building codes that require that glass be accessible by emergency services.

    Police found the Kia Soul on the sidewalk with major damage, and a shattered hole in the store's glass facade. After setting up a perimeter officers located a Hyundai Sonata in an alley half a block away, with Macs and iPhones littered both inside and outside of the vehicle.
    Is there no low to which Samsung will not sink?¡

    I doubt there are such building codes for allowing walls and doors to be emergency-services smashable.  After all the walls and doors could constructed like a bank vault if desired.
    Soli
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 35
    Solisoli Posts: 10,038member
    randominternetperson said:
    Soli said:
    I'd think that a laminate glass that wouldn't shatter would be useful in this situation. I wonder if that's too costly to warrant the expense, and with insurance and media coverage of these incidents it might be financially advantageous to not use overly expensive glass that will need to be replaced but will keep would-be thieves from entering the building. I wonder if there are building codes that require that glass be accessible by emergency services.

    Police found the Kia Soul on the sidewalk with major damage, and a shattered hole in the store's glass facade. After setting up a perimeter officers located a Hyundai Sonata in an alley half a block away, with Macs and iPhones littered both inside and outside of the vehicle.
    Is there no low to which Samsung will not sink?¡

    I doubt there are such building codes for allowing walls and doors to be emergency-services smashable.  After all the walls and doors could constructed like a bank vault if desired.
    I'm just throwing out reasons—besides cost—for not using a solution that would keep the vehicle from being abel to make a hole in which they could enter. I do think cost is the most likely reason for not making it more thief-proof.


    Roger_Fingas
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  • Reply 9 of 35
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 722member
    macxpress said:
    Idiots! I still don't get why people do this. Its really sad. 

    If that area has been hit really hard with thefts, maybe there needs to be a little more security there. 
    It's called poverty.

    East Palo Alto - a slum - is only blocks away from the very wealthy neighborhood of Palo Alto.
    zoetmbdysamoriadoozydozenStrangeDays
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  • Reply 10 of 35
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,944member
    Now a days, robbers have been looting Gun stores lot and those guns than use for killing innocent people. When will Congress/Senate pass laws if you participate, break-into Gun store to steal guns than it automatically translates into death penalty. But, those liberals won't support it until lots of innocent dies.
    edited December 2016
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  • Reply 11 of 35
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    I no real loss for Apple, except a day of downtime and perhaps even that is insured. The cost of insurance is simply a business expense that is passed on to the customers. So basically these thieves are costing us money in the form of increased insurance premiums to Apple.
    awilliams87dysamoria
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 35
    Eloyeloy Posts: 2member
    The below video link gives more details on the robbery.

    http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/12/04/teens-arrested-after-apple-store-rammed-with-car-in-palo-alto-robbery/


    edited December 2016
    lordjohnwhorfin
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 35
    indiekidukindiekiduk Posts: 392member
    While activation lock can be bypassed there will be many more robberies.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 35
    Solisoli Posts: 10,038member
    I love to see Sog getting more Likes than Dislikes. That's the Sog I remember and enjoy reading.
    bobroolordjohnwhorfindysamoriamacxpressroundaboutnow
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  • Reply 15 of 35
    skelingtonskelington Posts: 4member
    And i thought it was two women! Damn was I wrong. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 35
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,944member
    If you make it easy to rob/steal, than they will do it, again and again. Why can't Apple set-up store bit inside and have some well designed colorful strong barricade in front between street and store so robbers can't just slam vehicle into the store from street ? No one slams vehicle to Apple store inside Mall. Is it rocket science ?

    lordjohnwhorfin
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 35
    Solisoli Posts: 10,038member
    wood1208 said:
    If you make it easy to rob/steal, than they will do it, again and again. Why can't Apple set-up store bit inside and have some well designed colorful strong barricade in front between street and store so robbers can't just slam vehicle into the store from street ? No one slams vehicle to Apple store inside Mall. Is it rocket science ?

    Stanchion barricades that are retractable into the ground or that the employees cart out and then setup (and lock) at night might work to prevent a car from crashing through, but the standard smash-and-grab might still work. If the stanchion is removable by breaking a padlock then they might just use that as a battering ram for the glass.
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  • Reply 18 of 35
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member

    sog35 said:
    awilliams87 said:
    It would be interesting to know the race of the robbers
    And yet that's a drop in the bucket compared to the BILLIONS in theft done by white hedge fund traders and inside traders.

    Hell the 2007/2008 crash of the financial markets and the TRILLIONS stolen will never ever be equaled to whatever minorities steal in these small time crimes. And what race were those executives that caused that?

    You were saying?
    Good job, Sog.
    lordjohnwhorfinbobrooroundaboutnowfastasleep
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 35
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member

    wood1208 said:
    Now a days, robbers have been looting Gun stores lot and those guns than use for killing innocent people. When will Congress/Senate pass laws if you participate, break-into Gun store to steal guns than it automatically translates into death penalty. But, those liberals won't support it until lots of innocent dies.
    FFS! Death is not a justifiable punishment for theft!
    Roger_Fingasfastasleep
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 35
    JBSloughjbslough Posts: 92member
    Since when is a Kia Soul an SUV??
    randominternetperson
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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