Five people allegedly grabbed a total of 16 Canada Goose coats from a menswear store in Danvers on Thursday with the intent to steal them, but, as they ran from the store, quick-thinking employees thwarted their plans.

The result was a chaotic scene caught on the Giblees surveillance cameras. Coats fly, one of the alleged thieves appears to go tumbling into a rack, and one worker was reportedly injured and brought to a hospital after he was struck over the head with a heavy plastic hanger.

The group only made off with one coat, according to Alan Gibeley, who owns and operates the store. It isn’t the first time Giblees has struggled with the pricey coats being targeted — 11 went missing just a few weeks ago. They cost nearly $1,000 or just over that.


The five suspects — Mekeda McKenzie, 19, and Bryon Vaughn, 23, both of Dorchester; Lynasja Trimble, 29, and Kashawnii Roumo-O’brien, 20, both of Mattapan; and Adriana James, 23, of Jamaica Plain — have all been charged with larceny over $1,200 through a single scheme. Vaughn, Trimble, and James are also charged with assault and battery on someone over 60, according to The Salem News. Police reportedly arrested the suspects in Lynn after getting a vehicle description from the employees.

Of this recent group, Gibeley said he and his staff believe a couple of them were in the store a few days ago. He said he believes their goal on Thursday was simple.

“Their mission was [to] steal all the Canada Goose coats,” he said. “My staff and I just reacted.”

The incident unfolded around 11 a.m., according to Gibeley. In the video, the group walks in, with one of them appearing to dance. They immediately head to the back of the store. A few seconds later, they’re seen sprinting to the front, where the fracas ensues. It all unfolded in under a minute.

The employee injured in the melee sustained several cuts to his face, Gibeley said. He said he’s OK.

Most of the Giblees clientele are people the employees recognize, Gibeley said, and the clients become friends.


“It’s a shame when somebody tries to ruin the environment,” he said.