Mob shoplifting caught on camera, suspects get away with $30K+ of merchandise

Theft from The North Face store in Pleasant Prairie

PLEASANT PRAIRIE -- The Pleasant Prairie Police Department is working to identify 10 male suspects after they were caught on camera stealing more than $30,000 worth of merchandise from The North Face store at the Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets.

FOX6 News spoke with Police Chief David Smetana about the incident -- which happened Monday evening, July 1. Smetana indicated 10 males walked into the store, nine of them grabbed merchandise, and the suspects were in and out of the store within 30 seconds.

"This was an organized group. They had planned this out, they had traveled to this outlet knowing which stores they were going to hit," Smetana said. "This isn’t a group of 10 people walking by a store and coming up with an idea to hit it."

Investigators are now examining surveillance video from inside and outside of the store -- hoping to get better identification on the suspects.

Theft from The North Face store in Pleasant Prairie

Theft from The North Face store in Pleasant Prairie

"We’ve seen it before. Not to this level, in my recent history," Smetana said. "Through the work of our detectives in contacting other agencies and other stores they’ve seen recently, they’ve seen similar attacks go on at these stores."

Officials said the employees at the store did not confront the suspects.

"They got on the phone right away and advised the Pleasant Prairie Police Department that there was an incident at the store," Smetana said.

Smetana says they are investigating whether the group is linked to other similar robberies in the area.

PHOTO GALLERY

"It really is a matter of a number of people coming in, overwhelming a staff of employees," Smetana said.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact the Pleasant Prairie Police Department at 262-694-7353.

Theft from The North Face store in Pleasant Prairie