Suspects Mace Best Buy Employees, Flee With iPad; Still at Large

At least two suspects attempted to steal two iPads from the Best Buy on La Brea at the Gateway Mall in West Hollywood Monday afternoon, maced multiple employees and fled. One iPad was recovered. As of Monday evening, the suspects hadn’t been caught.

It happened around 4:15 p.m.

A West Hollywood sheriff’s deputy described it to WEHOonline at the scene. “It was a robbery,” the deputy said. “This person walked in, grabbed two iPads. Loss prevention tried to stop them. They dropped one, picked it back up, ran out.”

One suspect was described as an African American female wearing a white top.

The suspects first tried to exit through a back door. The alarm triggered. They couldn’t get through. When store employees moved in to apprehend them and recover the iPads, the suspects deployed mace, hitting multiple employees. The suspects then headed toward the front of the store.

Best Buy’s private security was stationed at the front door. He tried to move customers away from the suspect carrying the mace. Store policy prohibits physical contact. He didn’t intervene further. “I didn’t want this escalating,” he said.

The suspects pushed toward the exit. One employee made a final attempt to recover the merchandise near the front door. One iPad hit the ground and was recovered. The suspects held onto the other — and maced the employee on the way out.

That employee was the only one who required medical treatment. He was transported to a local hospital. The deputy confirmed no other injuries.

The suspects fled. The deputy was on scene interviewing witnesses and reviewing security footage with Best Buy’s security team. No arrests had been made. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information can contact the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850.