Aftermath: Bay Area retailers work to recover after looters ransack stores
OAKLAND, Calif. - San Francisco police announced the names of several people arrested in connection with robberies and burglaries at Union Square on Friday.
The suspects were identified as Jamisi Calloway, 24 of San Francisco; Kimberly Cherry, 28 of San Francisco; Francill White, 53 of San Francisco; Ivan Speed, 34 of Oakland; Tomiko Miller, 23 of Concord; Raynard Jones, 32 of Riverdale, GA; Edward James, 32 of San Francisco; Michael Ray, 27 of San Francisco; and Daron Wilson, 38 of San Francisco.They face an array of charges including burglary, receiving stolen property, and resisting arrest.
Police said more arrests are likely.
RELATED: Smash-and-grab thieves strike Bay Area stores; looting has public on edge
"I've already had a conversation with the district attorney about how important it is that we are very strong in our message on prosecution because people can't just feel that they can do this and get away with it without there being some consequences," said San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
On Friday night officers responded to reports of looting and vandalism at several Union Square retailers.
Authorities said thieves stormed the Louis Vuitton store nearly emptied it out. Other high-end retail shops such as Fendi, Burberry, and Dolce & Gabbana were also impacted.
Video posted to social media shows thieves rushing out of stores and into getaway cars with loads of stolen merchandise.
Following the chaotic weekend, businesses around Union Square had plywood installed over windows and doors as a deterrent to would-be thieves. However, it was business as usual at those retailers on Monday.
"You might see some businesses boarded up, but that is just a precautionary measure, said Marisa Rodriguez from the Union Square Alliance. "Right now, we just want to make sure folks are safe, our employees are safe and everyone feels good coming down here."
Also evident was a heavy police presence, with officers setting up a mobile command center and patrolling the area.
"There's a very strong police presence down here. I am very appreciative," said Rodriguez. "I know that the merchants and the businesses and all the visitors and San Franciscans alike are really happy to see the city really taking a strong stance."
Breed toured the area on Monda for the second time in three days, checking in with businesses and talking to employees.
Breed said the robberies are having ripple effects throughout the city and need to stop
"This is a bigger issue, this is impacting our bottom line, our economy," the mayor said. "No one wants to come to a city where they don't feel safe and so what we're doing is, we want people to feel safe."
Union Square officials confirmed that there will be changes to traffic in the area as some streets will be closed to cars from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The South Bay was also hit by the rash of retail thefts over the weekend.
Investigators said four thieves worked in tandem to rob the Lululemon store at Santana Row in San Jose. The suspects made off with about $40,000 in merchandise.
"There was another attempt at Valley Fair," said San Jose Police Dept. spokesman Sgt. Christian Camarillo. "Two suspects made their way into Sunglass Hut, where they stole sunglasses in excess of $7,000.
Experts said it’s not an accident stores from all over the Bay Area were targeted days before a major holiday.
"These are definitely organized, brazen thefts that are occurring. There’s planning that goes into them," said Professor Lisa Dadio, director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven. Adding, "It's not somebody wakes up and says, ‘Hey, let’s get 20, 40, 60, 80 people together and go hit all these stores.' They literally walk out with tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise."
Dadio said the thieves case potential targets beforehand. They learn about security patterns, employees, merchandise levels and getaway routes, before taking actions to commit their crimes.