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San Francisco Crash And Grab Thieves Become Experts At Thwarting Security Cameras, Police

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – Investigators said thieves who are driving stolen cars into businesses are becoming clever at avoiding police and the cameras designed to help catch them.

From Union Square to West Portal, these thieves drive right into the store and loot it, before driving away.

"This is outrageous. I mean it is something right out of the movies," said Karen Flood of the Union Square Improvement District.

Indeed, some of the thefts have been captured on security cameras. Like the bad guys in the movies - the thieves know just how to act. They use stolen cars, strike in the dead of night and they know how to cover themselves.

"They are all gloved and masked up so have very little physical evidence to go on," Lt. Alexa O'Brien of the San Francisco Police Department told KPIX 5.

As for security cameras, O'Brien said, "Right now the surveillance that we do have hasn't really helped us."

There was one arrest in connection with January's break-in at a Patagonia store, but the suspect was released after police didn't have enough evidence to charge him.

Meanwhile, the thieves have hit Chanel, Prada, high-end audio stores, even a bold break-in into the Wells Fargo Museum to steal gold nuggets.

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