Latest news with #ChinoPoliceDepartment
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Labubu doll thieves steal £22,000-worth of plushie dolls as police make horror discovery
Police officers have recovered an eyewatering £22,000 worth of stolen Labubus, as concerns rise over opportunistic thieves looking for ways to snatch the coveted plushies The Labubu doll frenzy has sparked a terrifying rise in robberies as thieves attempt to cash in on the viral plushie trend. Police in California have recovered an astonishing $30,000 (£22,000) stash of the sharp-toothed plushies, after they were stolen from a warehouse. In a statement issued on Monday, the City of Chino Police Department revealed that the popular dolls had been taken over the course of several days, with thieves having made "multiple trips". After recovering fourteen boxes of stolen Labubus at a Upland residence, police also found "evidence indicating the items were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country". One suspect attempted to flee after the search warrant was served but "ultimately surrendered without incident". Applauding the efforts made by detectives in this case, police said: "The recovered property, valued at approximately $30,000, was returned to the rightful owners. Outstanding teamwork in bringing this case to a close!" Labubu collectables are highly sought after following a viral online frenzy over the trendy toys earlier this year. They often sell out after each release, meaning fans will fork out dizzying sums for rare dolls. And this lucrative market is enticing criminals to steal the figurines. This is not the only incident in recent weeks where boxes of the famous plushies have been snatched, to the devastation of business owners. At approximately 1:30 am, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 6, masked bandits broke into Californian toy shop, One Stop Sales and looted a number of Labubus, reportedly ignoring cash and electronic goods as they did so. CCTV footage shows the crooks smashing the glass door of the La Puento store, which only opened a couple of months ago, before snatching thousands of dollars' worth of Labubus. Co-owner Joanna Avendano believes the store could well have been targeted after a restock was announced on social media. Discussing the shocking blow with ABC, Joanna recalled how she'd had a "gut feeling" to check surveillance footage via her phone. When she did, she was horrified. Joanna remembered: "I was watching everything, from when they got in, what they were taking. I was panicking because I was just ... I couldn't do anything." She added: "There was a lot taken, maybe like around $30,000 or more of inventory. We worked so hard to get to this point, and for them to just come in and, like nothing, take it all away, it's really bad." Thankfully, police have since recovered some of the stolen items. A snap shared via Instagram by One Stop Sales shows Industry Sheriff's Station officers posing next to the retrieved dolls. The post reads: "Thank you to the Industry Sheriff's Department for helping us recover some of our items. The case is still under investigation. Right now, no further comment.
Global News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Global News
$30K worth of stolen Labubu dolls recovered in failed California heist
Police in Southern California intercepted tens of thousands of dollars' worth of stolen Labubu dolls from a warehouse this week. The small collectible toys, originally hailing from Hong Kong, have skyrocketed in popularity in recent months and can range in price from $20 to $300. The Labubus were stolen in a series of trips completed over multiple days, the Chino Police Department said. Two suspects, both minors, were later identified as workers at the warehouse, the department said in a Facebook post on Monday. 'One suspect attempted to flee but ultimately surrendered without incident,' the statement said. In total, detectives recovered 'fourteen boxes of stolen merchandise, along with evidence indicating the items were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country,' it continued. Story continues below advertisement Law enforcement found the items at a home in Upland, a city in the San Bernardino Valley. The stolen goods, valued at around $30,000, were returned to the rightful owners, investigators confirmed. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The theft follows an investigation by authorities in Los Angeles after US$7,000 worth of the fluffy accessories were nabbed from a store in La Puente, a city about 29 kilometres east of Los Angeles, last week. The department said the suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma in the incident, which was recovered shortly afterward. Labubu dolls are manufactured by China's Pop Mart and are based on illustrations created by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, whose creations first appeared in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology. Story continues below advertisement In 2019, Lung signed a deal with Pop Mart to manufacture Labubu dolls for toy enthusiasts and influencers. Pop Mart began selling Labubu toy key rings in 2023, including to Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Blackpink star Lisa, who began posting photos of them to her more than 100 million Instagram and TikTok followers. 0:46 Labubu mania sweeps collectibles market as life-sized toy sells for $150K at auction There are 1.4 million #Labubu TikTok posts and counting, videos of fans unboxing them, showing styles inspired by them and, of course, Labubu cosplay. Fans have latched on to Labubu's mash-up of play and fashion, making them accessories on handbags, backpacks and belts and hanging them from car mirrors. — With files from The Associated Press
Epoch Times
6 days ago
- Epoch Times
Police in Southern California Find $30K Worth of Labubus Stolen From Warehouse
CHINO, Calif.—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.
India Today
6 days ago
- India Today
California police recover stolen Labubu dolls worth $30,000
A Southern California police department has recovered about $30,000 worth of Labubu dolls stolen from a warehouse, the agency announced this week. The collectible toys have recently surged in Chino Police Department said the theft occurred in a series of trips over multiple days. Two suspects, both minors and identified as warehouse workers, were later linked to the found the stolen items at a home in Upland in the Inland Empire. Chino Police obtained a search warrant to enter the property. One suspect tried to flee but later surrendered. The other was arrested in a nearby city on Tuesday, several days after detectives searched the home. Both were booked into San Bernardino County juvenile hall for suspected burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. Detectives said they had been investigating a burglary where, they say, suspects would enter a warehouse and steal boxes, during several trips over multiple days, containing the highly sought-after Labubus that are often sold for high prices online.'During the investigation, a search warrant was served at a residence in Upland,' Chino officials said. 'One suspect attempted to flee but ultimately surrendered without incident. Detectives recovered fourteen boxes of stolen merchandise, along with evidence indicating the items were being prepared for resale and shipment across the country.'According to police, detectives recovered 14 boxes of stolen items and evidence showing the suspects intended to resell and ship the collectibles announcement follows a separate incident in Los Angeles County in which thieves stole about $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls from a store in La Labubu was created in 2015 by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and is sold by Chinese company Pop Mart.- EndsWith inputs from AP
Bloomberg
6 days 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.
