Labubu heist: Watch how thieves wiped out store's entire doll collection
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the heist occurred at a store in La Puente, a city about 20 miles east of downtown LA and about 18 miles north of Anaheim.
One Stop Sales shared footage of the Tuesday, Aug. 6 robbery on social media. The store sold the fuzzy, sharp-tooth dolls used as toys, accessories, and collectibles.
Just before 1:30 a.m. that day, the sheriff's department confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY, deputies responded to the 600 block of Glendora Avenue for a burglary call.
Arriving officers, the agency reported, learned "several boxes" of Labubus had been stolen by masked thieves. The dolls are valued at approximately $7,000.
"The vehicle used in the crime, a stolen Toyota Tacoma, was recovered shortly afterward," the department wrote in the statement. The case remains under investigation.
What is a Labubu?
A Labubu is a doll designed to look like a monster, with a big head, prominent fangs and large eyes.
Made in China, the dolls are sold in various colors and have drawn quite the buzz, adorning the handbags of fans globally. Even celebrities have gotten in on the craze.
Police and store ask for help identifying Labubu burglars
Both the store and the sheriff's office are asking the public for help identifying the burglary suspects.
The store released a black-and-white video showing the thieves, which appears to be at least four suspects, plundering the business.
"We worked so hard to get to this point... for them just to come in and like nothing take it all away," Joanna Avendano, One Stop Sales co-owner, told KABC-TV.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriff's department at 626-330-3322.
To provide information anonymously, call "Crime Stoppers" at 800-222-TIPS or visit the website: http://lacrimestoppers.org.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
43 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Police in Southern California Find $30,000 Worth of Labubus Stolen From Warehouse
CHINO, Calif. (AP) — A police department in Southern California recovered about $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls that were stolen from a warehouse, the agency announced this week. The collectible items have recently surged in popularity. The Labubus were stolen in a series of trips that spanned multiple days, the Chino Police Department said in a social media post. Two suspects, both minors, were later identified as workers at the warehouse, the department said.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
California police recover $30K worth of Labubu dolls after they were stolen from warehouse
Fourteen boxes of wildly popular Labubu dolls worth a staggering $30,000 were recovered by California police after they were stolen from a warehouse last week, authorities said. The pilfered plushies were found at a home in Chino, the city's police department announced on Monday. Police said evidence showed the suspect or suspects were planning to resell the collectables across the country. Fourteen boxes of Labubu dolls worth a staggering $30,000 were recovered from a home in California. City of Chino Police Department The dolls were returned to their rightful owners, cops said. Last week, a store in La Puente, Calif. had $30,000 of its own horde of Labubu dolls snatched by a group of thieves who passed right by cash and even electronics in favor of the demonic collectibles. The shop had its merchandise safely returned by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department last Friday, according to its Instagram. Labubus, a sharp-toothed cross between a Cabbage Patch Kid and an Angel Baby typically complete with bunny ears and a dead-eyed stare, shot up popularity over the summer. Prices were driven through the roof, with a single 'blind box' grab retailing for $27.99 and a six-pack for $167.94. The Labubu craze drove prices for the demonic dolls obscenely high. Some of the supposed rarest Labubu dolls can sell online for upwards of $500. One skateboarding Labubu part of the 2023 line sold for a jaw-dropping $10,500 last week. Even massive celebrities flocked to the booming collectible, including Rihanna and K-pop girl group Blackpink's dancer Lisa who were both seen with Labubu dolls on their handbags. More than 300 different Labubu dolls have been released since its launch in 2015. Others trying to capitalize on its popularity released a fake, dubbed a Lafufu, that some stores and arcades have opted to feature for the more reasonable prices.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
'He said that he was Jesus': Police release details on deadly Texas Target shooting
The three people killed outside a Target in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 11 were identified, including a 4-year-old and a store employee. The man suspected of fatally shooting three people, including a child, in a Target parking lot in Austin, Texas, told police that he was Jesus and obtained a firearm through a family member despite a history of mental health issues, authorities said. Police identified the shooter as Ethan Nieneker, 32, and said that he began his attack by fatally shooting Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca as he collected shopping carts on Aug. 11. Nieneker then ran up to a gray Toyota 4-Runner, and fatally shot Adam Chow and his 4-year-old granddaughter before pushing Chow's wife from the vehicle, police said in a news release. Chow's wife survived with minor injuries. "What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said on Aug. 12. "Innocent lives were taken in broad daylight, in a place where people should feel safe to run their everyday errands and to live their everyday lives." USA TODAY is working to reach an attorney or family member who can speak on Nieneker's behalf. Chaotic timeline following deadly Target shooting Following the killings at 2:15 p.m. CT, police say that Nieneker stole Chow's car and made a chaotic getaway, assaulting multiple people and stealing cars along the way. Here's a timeline released by authorities: Charges, motive, and what we know about Ethan Nieneker Davis said Nieneker worked at a local restaurant and lived alone. He's been charged with two counts of capital murder and first-degree felony murder. Police said he will face more charges related to the subsequent assaults and carjackings. As for a motive, police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said there was "really no reason whatsoever given." "He said that he was Jesus," Sexton said. "It was a completely random choosing of the victims." Sexton said the handgun used in the attack was "acquired through family" and that the department was investigating possible charges against the family member. Davis said Nieneker's history with Austin police included assault causing bodily injury to a family member, driving under the influence, violation of a protective order, marijuana possession, and two mental health reports. "This man had some serious issues, and I think about the systems that failed in a way, as we move forward," she said. "We're looking at this background, and again, this is going to be things that are going to be coming up in the months and the years ahead. There were some serious failures here." 'Pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come' Davis declined to detail who failed Nieneker or exactly how, and said she did not know if he had been officially diagnosed. "What help are they getting when you're dealing with someone with these issues?" Davis asked. "Where does someone with this capacity to do this get a weapon? And when does a family member feel comfortable giving someone with these issues a weapon?" She called the case "a heartbreaking and deeply painful time for our city." "The actions of the suspect showed a complete disregard for human life," she added. "The pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come." Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT
