MONTCLAIR, New Jersey (WABC) — Wild video captured a group of thieves breaking into a store in New Jersey and ransacking the place before making off with a bunch of designer handbags.
Eyewitness News reporter Anthony Johnson spoke to the couple who owns the store in Montclair.
Store owner Arlene Carrini says the crew of thieves must have had prior knowledge and knew exactly what to steal. After several attempts, they busted through the front window of Nouvelle and One Savvy Design, a consignment store which sold high-end handbags.
“They knew exactly where to go because we have all these Chanel bags, we had just finished doing a TikTok and so they knew that the bags were here and that’s where they went,” Arlene Carrini said.
The suspects were driving in a late-model BMW and cruised along Valley Road, apparently making sure the coast was clear.
They parked on a side street and jumped out of the car wearing masks and had their heads covered. They left very few clues.
“They knew where the more expensive ones were, we had a Birkin, we had Chanel bags, Saint Laurent, there was some Gucci and Louis, and it’s just sad,” Carrini said.
The thieves each had big plastic bags and stuffed them with merchandise worth tens of thousands of dollars. They were in and out of the consignment shop in 40 seconds.
All this led the owners to reach out to similar stores, and they say there is a pattern of crimes targeting these kinds of high-end operations.
“This is a crew that is going around, so it’s important to take your bags off the shelf and move them somewhere else,” Carrini said.
Besides the loss of the pricey handbags, the feeling of being ripped off is infuriating.
“I’m angry, I’m disgusted, I can’t believe that human beings do this to one another,” owner Frank Carrini said.
The Montclair Police Department is investigating the incidents.
So far there have been no arrests.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
