Apple Stores are popular with consumers, and one can find all of their products under one roof. However, owing to their value, Apple products have attracted robbers twice in the last six months at the store in The Village Mall in Corte Madera, California.
On April 25, the highly valued Apple Store in Corte Madera was robbed for the second time in the last six months. The Corte Madera Apple Store fell victim to robbery for the first time in November 2016. The burglars made away with products valued $40,000 in the first heist.
Corte Madera Apple Store robbery: second time unlucky?
One would have thought that Apple would have increased the store's security after the first robbery in 2016. However, this was not the case as thieves robbed the Apple Store again and got away with $24,000 worth of stolen Apple goods. Three iPads, 17 iPhones, and 2 Macs were stolen in the second heist.
The five thieves, who appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s, were spotted by the security guards at the time of the robbery but successfully managed to evade security. It is not known whether the burglars left on foot or on a vehicle.
How did the robbery take place?
Photos of the store post break-in showed empty tables that usually feature various Apple devices for the customers to test first hand.
The pictures were shared online by Amy Holyfield in a tweet. The robbers apparently broke into the shop after the usual closing time of 8 p.m.
Look at the empty counter at the Corte Madera Apple Store. Police say 5 thieves grabbed about $24k worth of products and took off last night pic.twitter.com/FSrkYSH32q
— Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) April 25, 2017
It is unclear whether the group broke the doors of the Apple Store to gain entry or if the doors were already open.
What made it easier for the burglars to conduct the robbery was the plan of The Village Mall. The mall is open air in design and the shops are grouped into small strips.
Given the open air placement, the robbers were out of the mall as soon as they stepped out of the store. The mall also boasts of a “24-hour professional security for our stores and guests.” However, it seems that this was not useful for Apple.
An isolated incident?
This is not a one-off incident in which an Apple Store has been the victim of a robbery. In 2016, the Bay Area saw a string of robberies aimed specifically at Apple stores. On Dec. 5, the Palo Alto Apple Store was targeted by robbers who took away unspecified number of iPhones and iPads. The robbers came in an SUV and crashed into the store, causing absolute mayhem and wreck. Subsequently, the store was temporarily closed in January 2017 as it underwent repairs.
