Thieves in Florida cut through a mall’s concrete roof and made away with at least $40,000 worth of sneakers, local deputies have confirmed to USA TODAY.
The mall robbery and heist happened between midnight and 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Champs Sporting Goods in Jensen Beach’s Treasure Coast Square, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office shared online.
Photos from the mall’s rooftop show mostly Nike sneaker boxes laid out after the operation, as well as some New Balance shoes. USA TODAY has contacted Foot Locker, which owns Champs Sporting Goods, as well as Treasure Coast Square management, Nike, and New Balance for comment.
As of Oct. 24, the stolen merchandise has not been inventoried yet, but the thieves made off with at least $40,000 worth of products, the sheriff’s office told USA TODAY.
In the announcement, the sheriff’s office pointed out that the thieves put a significant amount of effort into the thievery. They allegedly cut a hole in the mall's concrete roof, dropped into the Champs store, and took hundreds of pairs of shoes.
Police are looking for suspects in the sneaker heist
The suspects are accused of bagging and tagging the stolen sneakers, throwing them off the roof, and loading them into a getaway vehicle. Seemingly in a hurry, they left some bags behind, the sheriff’s office said.
Video captured inside the store shows one of the suspects wearing a black mask. The suspect looks around what appears to be a back storage room. When the individual notices there’s a camera, he backs away, covering his face.
The sheriff’s office asked that anyone with information call (772) 220-7060 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS.
Another heist that's grabbed worldwide attention
The Florida mall heist went down just days after a high-profile heist in France.
Thieves shattered a window at Paris' Louvre museum on Oct. 19, stealing eight pieces of jewelry worth more than $100 million.
After the robbery, the museum closed for a few days but is now open again, and the search for the suspects is still underway.
Contributing: Melina Khan, USA TODAY
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thieves cut a hole in a mall's roof. They took at least $40K in sneakers.
Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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