16 busted for takeover-style robberies centered in Union Square

Investigators believe that the 16 suspects charged in connection to a brazen organized retail theft ring that centered in San Francisco's Union Square and has since spread throughout the western portion of the country struck shops in these locations. less Investigators believe that the 16 suspects charged in connection to a brazen organized retail theft ring that centered in San Francisco's Union Square and has since spread throughout the western portion of the ... more Photo: Courtesy, San Francisco District Attorney's Office Photo: Courtesy, San Francisco District Attorney's Office Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close 16 busted for takeover-style robberies centered in Union Square 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Sixteen people have been accused of joining a theft ring in which packs of suspects would blitz retail stores like Barney’s and Burberry, centering their mayhem in San Francisco’s Union Square but also spreading as far as Honolulu, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Dallas, San Francisco prosecutors said Monday.

Many of the defendants were named in a grand jury indictment, handed down last week in San Francisco Superior Court, that listed charges including robbery, grand theft, commercial burglary and conspiracy for crimes allegedly committed over at least the past year. Others were directly charged by the district attorney’s office.

The suspects were well known to Union Square merchants for their method of “overwhelming” store employees, said District Attorney George Gascón, as they made off with about $225,000 worth of goods, often from high-end shops in San Francisco such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Ferragamo and Lululemon.

“Large groups of people, sometimes as many as 10 or 12, would enter an establishment with booster bags in their hands and just brazenly grab as much merchandise as they possibly could and run out the door,” said Frank Carrubba, the managing attorney of the crime strategy unit within the district attorney’s office.

In the spring and summer, he said, the groups became more violent, sometimes using pepper spray on store workers.

“They would knock cases open and then push them out of the way and then grab large-dollar amount items, put them in bags and run out the door,” Carruba said. “They used knives in some situations.”

The style of store theft was first documented in November 2014, with Union Square retailers dubbing the thieves the “Rainbow Girls” for their bright attire and dyed hair. Retailers still refer to the group as “the Rainbow Crew.”

What is unique about the indictments, Gascón said, is that the crime strategies unit — which specializes in investigating trends and analyzing data — connected suspects to 23 thefts in San Francisco and at least 10 in other jurisdictions.

“Some of these individuals we have linked to other cities with totals well over $1 million to $2 million for various thefts,” said San Francisco police Lt. Valerie Matthews. “Some of them include violence, store takeovers. It’s not simple retail theft. I think people assume it’s something that simple, but a lot of times, it can be violent. It can be scary for the employees.”

Officials said many of the 16 defendants were booked in San Francisco County Jail. Complete information was not immediately available on the defendants’ ages, cities of residence and custody status.

They were identified as Earlasha Jordan, 21, Monique Holman, 23, Maljanae Williams, 23, Fred Simpson, 22, Kelvin Burton, 22, Lashay Beasley, Damon Stuart, Kelvina Burton, Ariaunna Shelton, Shanique Kyer, Keyonna Kyer, Giovanni Duncan, Sharome Jones, Cayla Pollard, Ebony Hayes and Zachary Vanderhorst.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo