Grabbing for Apples: Thieves make off with $27k of tech gadgets in daring heist

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Crystal clear surveillance video shows how a group of young men made off with a small fortune worth of Apple products.

The four only needed mere seconds to steal 26 items totaling $27,000 Saturday morning at the Fresno Apple Store inside Fashion Fair Mall.

Lt. Mark Hudson of the Fresno Police Department says the group took, "Various iPhones, the iPhone 6, iPhone 7 and 8, and even the new iPhone X was taken in this grand theft."

Just as quickly as they arrived, the young men in hoodies wasted no time, ripping out the tethered electronics from display tables throughout the store as customers and Apple Store employees looked on.

One of the thieves, with an arm full of laptops, scurried past a group of frightened teenage girls.

"One customer stood by the door to prevent them from leaving but was knocked out of the way," said Lt. Hudson. "Right now we are looking for four, or five, we believe there was a getaway driver, black males anywhere from 16 to 18 years old."

According to police, the suspects never displayed any weapons.

Investigators are reviewing the surveillance footage from the inside the store to see who the young men are, and if the crime might be connected to a similar robbery in Downtown San Luis Obispo last month.

"There are other reports, of other places, other cities in California that have had these kinds of takeover thefts," said Lt. Hudson. "So we are looking into (this crime) being connected to other crimes, at any other Apple Stores outside of Fresno.