Car drives through Apple Store Berkeley in smash-and-grab burglary

12 years ago

“A car was driven through the glass façade of the Apple store on Berkeley’s 4th Street in the early hours of Friday morning,” Tracey Taylor reports for Berkeleyside.

“The incident appears to be a deliberate smash-and-grab case as several items were stolen from the store, according to the Berkeley police,” Taylor reports. “The car, which went right through the front of the store at 1823 4th Street, damaged both the front doors and the roll-up metal security gate, leaving a trail of broken glass.”

“BPD received a report of an alarm from the Apple store at approximately 2:52 a.m., according to BPD spokesperson Officer Jennifer Coats. Once on scene, officers found an empty car, surrounded by debris,” Taylor reports. “‘There were signs of prowl inside the business,’ Officer Coats said. “Officers conducted a check of the business and did not find any suspects. The subsequent investigation revealed several Apple products were stolen. Based on the information at this point, it appears the suspect deliberately drove the vehicle into the store in order to burglarize the business. The investigation is ongoing.”

A car smashed through the glass façade of the Apple store at 1823 4th Street in Berkeley. Photo: Mickey Novello

Read more in the full article here.

“Vehicular smash-and-grabs have become increasingly common at Apple stores around the world thanks to the high resale value of the merchandise on display and Apple’s unwillingness to mar the stores’ aesthetic with hefty security features,” AppleInsider reports. “Apple’s Kurfürstendamm store in Berlin fell victim to such a crime last December, while the Lincoln Park outlet in Chicago and the Temecula, Calif. location have also seen similar vehicular violence.”

Read more, and see more photos, in the full article here.