On Sunday a group of robbers targeted a MyEyeDr. in Alexandria, Virginia, located just eight miles from Washington, D.C. The robbery took place at around 6 p.m. on April 19, at the eyeglass store, which sells designer eyewear brands such as Ray-Ban.
According to police, the smash-and-grab robbers managed to escape with more than $20,000 in stolen merchandise.
Fairfax County Police are now seeking five suspects in connection to the crime, including their getaway driver who they believed used an “older-model black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and black hubcaps”. They believe those who committed the crime are between the ages of 17 and 23 years old.
"Detectives are following up on leads and are aware of similar incidents throughout the National Capital Region," Captain Frederick Chambers, Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Fairfax County Police Department, said on Thursday.
The footage of the heist was released on May 5, and a video of the robbery made its way to Twitter.
A man in the video can be heard saying, “The cops are on their way!” as the robbers collected merchandise from smashed display cases. A woman can also be heard saying towards the end of the clip, “I’m not scared, I’m from New York.”
"Detectives continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the region to identify the suspects involved in this incident and are closely examining others that fit this same troubling pattern. We are asking for information from our community and reminding them they can remain anonymous through our Crime Solvers tip line," Chambers added.
This year alone, at least three other similar stores in the D.C.-Alexandria area have been targeted by smash-and-grab thieves.
California has also seen its fair share of smash-and-grabs in the past year. In November, San Francisco’s downtown area and their Union Square shopping district experienced smash-and-grabs in stores like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Bloomingdale’s. In Walnut Creek, that same month, about 80 people managed to rob a Nordstrom of its merchandise and then fled to waiting cars in what police said was a “planned event”.