Roseville Heist Latest In String Of Apple Store Robberies; 3 Arrested
(CBS SF) -- Investigators are looking into a possible link between a string of "grab-and-go" robberies at Bay Area and Northern California Apple stores following another such robbery in Placer County on Wednesday.
Three men were arrested Wednesday after police said they made off with $15,000 in merchandise from an Apple Store inside a mall in Roseville.
It was the third time since Sunday that the store at the Roseville Galleria has been robbed, and the fourth time since August. Police identified the suspects in the latest robbery as Juwan Potter, 20; Melvin Barlow, 21; and Quincy Carter Jr., 21.
Police arrested the three after their car was spotted and chased at a high speed along Roseville city streets before it crashed into other vehicles, including a big rig truck.
The three suspects then fled on foot and but were quickly apprehended. Officers pulled a number of laptops and other merchandise from their vehicle.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the suspects were involved in the rash of other recent Apple Store robberies, including a heist in Santa Rosa last month.
"The situation that we had today matched a similar pattern but at this time it's unknown if these suspects are connected with any of the other thefts we've had at the Apple store," said Roseville police spokesman Rob Baquera.
Last month at a Corte Madera Apple Store, thieves using the same modus operandi were caught on camera running away directly in front of the security guard.
The security guard told KPIX that company policy prohibits guards from confronting thieves, and that guards serve only as a visual deterrent.
Investigators believe Apple's hands-off policy contributes to the frequency of such robberies.
