Shoplifters raid Chicago boutique in broad daylight, steal tens of thousands in luxury purses

Luxury stores in the Chicago area have been victims of shoplifting in recent weeks

By Emma Colton

October 24, 2021

Chicago thieves were seen on camera taking thousands of dollars worth of luxury purses from a store in the city.

Video released by the Chicago Police Department shows two suspects brazenly taking purses from a Bottega Veneta location near the Magnificent Mile. The incident occurred on Oct. 11 around 2:54 p.m. and resulted in thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, CWBChicago reported, citing the police video and a source.



The video shows one suspect in the store walk to a door and allow a second suspect inside. The first suspect is seen pushing the store’s employee away as the two people wearing hoodies rush to the merchandise floor and start collecting purses to take.

Police are asking the public to come forward with any information on the incident.

The incident is far from an isolated one. The store was previously hit by a larger group of shoplifters on Sept. 20, when an employee admitted one person into the store, and 11 other suspects rushed into the store after him. They stole about 35 handbags, with each purse retailing for thousands of dollars, CWBChicago reported.

The shoplifting crimes have also crept into Chicago’s suburbs in recent weeks, with video footage showing seven to eight men stealing purses from a Bloomingdales earlier this month.

A Louis Vuitton store outside Chicago was also hit by at least eight individuals this month who took purses.

Footage from an Ulta Beauty store in a Chicago suburb last month also showed suspects shoving beauty products into black bags before running off.