Arrest Warrants Issued for 17 People in $1M California Apple Store Theft Ring

Authorities have issued arrest warrants for 17 people who were running an Apple Store theft ring across California, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced today.

The individuals involved robbed Apple retail stores in 19 different counties, including several in the Bay Area, where Apple's headquarters are located. More than $1 million worth of Apple goods were stolen.

applestorepaloalto
The robbers were known for wearing hoodies and storming Apple Stores in large groups to snatch up products that were on display "in a matter of seconds."

Law enforcement agencies in Oakland and San Luis Obispo handled the investigation, but multiple law enforcement agencies across the state were involved in capturing the criminals. "The successful collaborative efforts of law enforcement has resulted in dismantling a large criminal ring," said Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.

According to Attorney General Becerra, organized theft rings like the one apprehended this week "cost California business owners millions" and ultimately lead to consumers paying the cost.

Seven of those involved were arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Alameda County Jail, while another person is in custody in Sonoma County. The remaining nine suspects have yet to be arrested, but will be when located. Charges include plotting to commit grand theft against individuals.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...

Top Rated Comments

mattyj2001 Avatar
86 months ago
Where's the finesse? In my day, we would crawl through an air duct after hours and shimmy around lasers.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
86 months ago
A million dollars? They must’ve stolen nearly a dozen Apple products! Maybe even one or two more!
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Will.O.Bie Avatar
86 months ago
I hope all of these 17 "factory defects" never a chance to prove their defectiveness again.
Apple needs to install bars on the front that can drop down in seconds.
Also bars to block exit thru the back.
Trap the animals until the police/swat team arrive.
Effectively trapping customers along with the criminals...BRILLIANT!

You just created a scary situation where they just grab and go during business hours to a full blown hostage situation...BRILLIANT!
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eow Avatar
86 months ago
There are also a scam where a girl goes in an Apple Store. She tells customers if she can borrow their phone because hers is not working and she needs to make a desperate call. She says she will try to put her SIM in the customer’s phone to call her friend. If she is successful she says she can’t get a signal and they need to go outside. Then her accomplice outside steals the customer’s phone from her hand and runs away.
Hmm, there are people stupid enough to fall for that? First, she’s literally in a phone store, and has to borrow a customer’s phone? Secondly, who swaps out the SIM first when borrowing someone else’s phone to make a desperate call? Thirdly... Whoever falls for that should win a Darwin Award.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
86 months ago
They were caught when police asked Johnny Appleseed to Find My Friend.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glockworkorange Avatar
86 months ago
Good. Make an example out of them.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)