Four Suspects Steal $165K in Merchandise From Chanel Store in SoHo (UPDATE)

As part of an alleged string of local robberies, four suspects lifted 44 bags from the Chanel storefront in SoHo, totaling about $165,000 in value.

chanel roobbery
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chanel roobbery

UPDATED Feb. 22, 3:47 p.m. ET: On Monday, U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss, FBI’s William F. Sweeney Jr., and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announce the arrest of Eric Spencer in his participation in an armed robbery of a luxury retail store in New York. Spencer, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.  

“As alleged, Eric Spencer put the public and store personnel in grave danger when he committed a brazen daylight armed robbery of a SoHo boutique earlier this month. Spencer allegedly threatened a store security guard by displaying the handle of his gun as he barked orders to his co-conspirators to ‘grab everything.’ Now the FBI and NYPD have grabbed Spencer, who is in federal custody and awaiting his day in court,” Strauss said.

You can read the full release here.

See original story from 2/5/2021 below.

As part of a suspected string of local burglaries, four people robbed the Chanel storefront in SoHo on Tuesday. 

The suspects entered the store around 2 p.m. and began snatching bags, according to local reports, lifting 44 in total. The value of the bags is an estimated $165,000 overall, according to the NYPD.

Security video from the heist shows suspects frantically grabbing the designer bags off the shelves in broad daylight, with two men holding open the store’s doors. 

According to police, the store’s security guard warned the men she was armed as they began taking the bags. One of the suspects reportedly then showed her the butt of his gun and asked, “What are you going to do, shoot me?” 

Police say this incident is connected to a larger chain of robberies that began back in September. The group of suspects allegedly rent vehicles from New Jersey, sometimes using stolen plates, to get to and from their targeted heists.  

Officials say the widespread use of masks during the COVID-19 pandemis has helped the suspects continue to be unapprehended. Police say the group of men is potentially known in the community, and is asking the public for help identifying the suspects. 

“The individuals depicted in these videos are responsible for multiple robberies/burglaries of high end retail stores in Manhattan,” NYPD chief Rodney Harrison tweeted with footage of the robbery. “The NYPD is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying these individuals.”

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