Best Buy stores in two Twin Cities suburbs were targeted by large groups of thieves in incidents that resemble the recent “flash mob” robberies reported in California.
The thieves struck on Black Friday evening at Best Buys at 14141 Aldrich Ave. S. in Burnsville and at 1795 County Road East in Maplewood, police have confirmed.
In Burnsville, a group of as many as 20-30 individuals swarmed the store shortly after 8 p.m., taking a number of items before fleeing a short time later in vehicles.
Police confirmed to WCCO that no weapons were used and nobody was injured in the incident, but that no arrests have been made as of this time.
Meanwhile in Maplewood, police told Bring Me The News that a smaller number of thieves, six in total, stole merchandise and then fled in several vehicles.
Maplewood PD noted that a similar robbery happened in Burnsville and may have in “other cities tonight as well,” though Bring Me The News has not yet learned of any new reports other than Burnsville and Maplewood.
At this time, it’s not known how much merchandise was stolen in the thefts or the value.
Just this week, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry announced that the company would be stepping up security in its stores after the emergence of smash-and-grab-style robberies, with high-profile incidents where groups of dozens targeted high-value retailers in California.
This could be in the form of additional security guards, or by locking up some of its higher-value goods.