East Bay Apple Store burglarized 4 times in one week

Police are asking for information leading to the arrest of three men (pictured above) suspected of stealing from the Berkeley Apple Store. Police are asking for information leading to the arrest of three men (pictured above) suspected of stealing from the Berkeley Apple Store. Photo: Berkeley Police Department Photo: Berkeley Police Department Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close East Bay Apple Store burglarized 4 times in one week 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Police are asking the public for information on three men suspected of stealing from the Berkeley Apple Store.

The men allegedly struck the store four times in under a week, including twice in a single day. Police say the thefts occurred on March 28 at 10:05 a.m. and 3:16 p.m., April 1 at 7:33 p.m. and April 2 at 11:33 a.m.

At least three laptops and $21,200 worth of merchandise were taken. Police believe the same three suspects are connected with the thefts based on video surveillance footage.

In the footage, one man wears what appears to be a blue zip jacket with red and white stripes on the arms, black jeans and sneakers; another is dressed in a black-and-orange zip jacket, torn jeans and black sneakers; and the third wears a matching sweatsuit decorated with shark jaws, a blue-and-white bucket hat and blue sneakers.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact the Berkeley Police Department's Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.

Theft has been an ongoing issue for Bay Area Apple Stores. In August and September, six Apple Stores in the area were blitzed and robbed nine times in a single month, with at least $281,000 worth of merchandise being pilfered in the process.

READ MORE about last year's Apple Store robberies here

The majority of those robberies were conducted "mob-style." The operation usually goes something like this: A handful of hooded individuals storm an Apple Store. They unplug and gather as much merchandise as they can in a few seconds, then run to a getaway vehicle idling out front as customers and security guards look on.

The bright open floor plan and wide entryways of Apple stores, which are designed to entice potential customers, may tempt thieves to steal with the promise of few obstacles. Likewise, many offenders seem to be aware of the "hands-off" policy for store security.

An Apple spokesperson said the company does not comment on store security matters.

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Experts have long speculated about the company's store security plan. Matthew Green, an associate professor of information security at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told The Chronicle last year that Apple likely makes it difficult to use stolen demo products. The company controls the activation process required to make the products work, he said, and could ostensibly track down stolen gear.

The blog 9to5Mac said devices contain a software "kill switch" that disables the demo gadgets as soon as they leave the range of the store wi-fi. Apple has not confirmed these rumors.

Even if the phones are disabled, they could be dismantled for their parts or used without cellular service, Neil Broom, the owner of Technical Resource Center, a computer forensics firm in Huntington Beach, told The Chronicle.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at michelle.robertson@sfgate.com.

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