Two San Diego Apple Stores robbed in less than an hour, thieves take $20k in product

Apple Stores around the world are often targets of robberies and now we’re seeing yet another example of that. According to a report from local news outlet 10 News, two Apple Stores in San Diego were robbed in less than an hour…

According to the report and subsequent police releases, the same three men are believed to have been responsible for both robberies. While specific information about what they were able to steal remains unclear, police estimate that they made off with $10,000 worth of products, though that number could be as high as $20,000. San Diego Police also say they obtained “mostly computers and cell phones.”

While the three men are believed to have been armed with knives, police are currently classifying this robbery as grand theft rather than armed robbery, as no one was threatened.

According to police, three men entered the ground-level store, stole an unknown amount of merchandise and fled into a waiting car: A silver, Chevy, 4-door sedan. Police said the suspects fled with mostly computers and cell phones in both instances.

While the suspects, who appeared in their 20s, were reportedly armed with knives, police said they did not threaten customers or store employees. The devices were stripped from the store’s tables when the thieves yanked them from their cords.

This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen thieves target Apple specifically. Just this week, an Apple Store in Corte Madera, California faced its second major theft in the space of a few months. It’s believed that the thieves made off with $24,000 worth of products.

Apple, however, employs stringent security measures for its demo products. Apple ensures that none of its demo products are functional once they disconnect from store Wi-Fi, but they could of course be broken for parts. It is these protective measures that made Apple feel comfortable removing the tethers from display products.

The iPhone will reset when the device is powered off and then plugged in. When removed from the Apple Store, the stolen iPhone can’t do anything but ring for Find My iPhone until the battery dies. The iPhones are also Activation Locked using iCloud as a deterrent just like customer iPhones.