Would-be burglars rammed the front of a Louis Vuitton store Monday morning in San Francisco's Union Square but were unable to enter, according to police.
At about 4:15 a.m., San Francisco patrol officers in the area of Union Square witnessed a vehicle crash into the front doors of a business in the 200 block of Geary Street, police said.
"One of our sergeants observed a car slow down at the 100 block of Geary, basically. And, accelerate right into the Louis Vuitton store,” San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said.
When the vehicle was unable to force entry, multiple suspects left the vehicle and fled in two other waiting vehicles.
One of the suspect vehicles was last seen traveling westbound on Geary Street, and the other went southbound on Stockton Street, police said.
No merchandise was stolen, but there was significant damage to the front of the store, police said.
Local
According to police department data, crime is down in San Francisco by about a third. But these types of organized burglary events are still happening.
A couple weeks ago, at the Dior store two blocks away, thieves used a car to smash into the front doors and make off with some merchandise.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
It's not only high end retailers getting hit. A cigarette store on Geary in the Richmond District has been hit a few times this year.
On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom spoke about the issue in Sacramento, saying more than 10,000 retail theft arrests have been made statewide thanks to coordinated operations between state and local law enforcement agencies and grants.
The California Highway Patrol has also been focusing on busting organized retail theft operations.
"I can tell you anecdotally, we are seeing less of these. And when I'm saying less of these,
We're seeing less smash and grabs, we're seeing less of that as we get involved, and arrest and identify these criminals,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.
According to San Francisco police, the car used in Monday morning's attempted burglary may have been stolen.
Chief Scott said that while his officers were not able to make any arrests, they did get information that could lead to arrests later.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
