Highland Park police have released surveillance video of a group of thieves crashing into a Chanel store and stealing dozens of items last Monday.
In the video, a van is seen crashing through a display window at the store in the 100 block of Highland Park Village, at about 6:30 a.m. Jan. 18.
Several people then stream into the store, each of them wearing a hoodie or a mask. In a matter of seconds, they start collecting handbags and carrying them out in trash bags.
The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes.
There just so happened to be an off-duty Van Alstyne police officer nearby who saw what was happening. t first, though, police say he thought it was an accident.
"When he turned around and realized that he had a criminal offense and he radioed us, and we contacted University Park, Dallas Police Department and Texas DPS to help us with the apprehension," said Lt. Lance Koppa, with the Highland Park Police Department.
Seven suspects were later arrested, including two juveniles, and dozens of purses were recovered.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The total value of the stolen items was estimated at more than $300,000.
Highland Park police say they are stepping up patrols in Highland Park Village to try to keep this type of crime from happening again.
