Oak Brook mall robbery: Thieves steal $120K of Louis Vuitton items in robbery at 196 Oak Brook Center, police say

VIEW | Surveillance video shows the robbery of Oak Brook Louis Vuitton

The Oak Brook Police Department responded to a report from mall security around 3:31 p.m. that several people were engaged in a sale at 196 Oak Brook Center.

Oak Brook Police Chief James Kruger said: ‘When they entered the store, they pulled the trash bags out of their coats and started loading them with merchandise.

Fourteen suspects drove away from the scene in three separate vehicles. Police recovered one of the vehicles, a Dodge Charger that was reported stolen in October in Chicago. The recalled vehicle will be processed by the end of Friday, police said. Investigators said they are tracking leads, including the license plates of the criminals’ cars.

SEE ALSO | Tracking: Thievs stole $66,000 in Louis Vuitton bags from Northbrook Court Mall, police say

Oak Brook police released surveillance video of the incident on Thursday afternoon.

“This is a safe area,” said shopper Mahboob Abbas. “We come here all the time. The kids play outside.”

“You don’t expect that to happen outside the city,” says shopper Jasmine Tsang. “I actually just moved in from the city recently. I think I’ve gotten away with all that.”

This is not the only Louis Vuitton store targeted. A similar crime happened last month, about 30 miles away in the northern suburbs. “=

In that case, Northbrook police said 13 thieves and three motorists targeted a store at Northbrook Court Mall, stealing $66,000 worth of merchandise.

“We don’t know yet if there is a connection, but there are certainly similarities and our investigators are talking to their investigators,” Kruger said.

SEE ALSO | Taskforce tackles organized retail theft amid mass crime scene along Chicago’s Mag Mile

Police in Oak Brook are now turning to the Illinois attorney general, who has established a task force for these types of crimes.

“The Attorney General is also looking into this investigation and whether it should be combined with a larger investigation,” Kruger said.

Authorities urge anyone who may have seen something suspicious or has information to contact the Oak Brook Police Department at 630-368-8700 or email Crimetips@oak-brook.org.

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.

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