Glendale police announced Thursday the first arrest in the Yves Saint Laurent flash mob burglary at the Americana at Brand.
Police said they arrested 23-year-old Ivan Isaac Ramirez of Los Angeles. He is currently in Glendale Police custody and faces several charges including organized retail theft, burglary, grand theft and conspiracy.
A second person connected to the same flash mob burglary, who is currently outstanding, was identified as 21-year-old Briana Jimenez, also of Los Angeles.
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The flash mob, caught on various witness cell phones, happened during the daytime on Aug. 8. Authorities said at least 30 people entered the YSL store and stole an estimated $40,000 in merchandise.
This Glendale incident is just one of many flash mob burglaries that have occurred recently in Southern California, with the most recent one taking place at the Costa Mesa Gucci Store. On Thursday, LA Mayor Karen Bass announced a retail crime task force that will investigate, apprehend and prosecute all involved in these types of thefts.
“To Angelenos, our message is clear, those who commit these crimes will be caught, they will be held accountable and we will work to address the issue”, said Bass.
Rick Caruso, who owns and operates The Americana at Brand, gave a heartfelt thanks to the Glendale Police Department for their “swift and decisive actions leading to the first arrest for the theft at Saint Laurent.”
“At Caruso, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the security of our guests, tenants, residents and employees and our top priority is to maintain a safe and family-friendly environment at each of our properties.”
The Organized Retail Crimes Task Force will include detectives and investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Apprehension Task Force and police departments from LA, Glendale, Burbank, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica
“We have 22 assigned full-time investigators that will work 24/7, seven days a week. They will be responding to incidents day and night to conduct full investigations,” said Kris Pitcher of the LAPD.
