High-End Smash-And-Grab Robbery Ring Busted After Palo Alto Investigation: AG

PALO ALTO, CA — Acting with "planning, sophistication, or professionalism," three men have been charged with taking part in an organized retail theft operation in which they stole more than $300,000 in designer goods during smash-and-grab thefts up and down the state over two years, the state attorney general announced Tuesday.

The suspects, including two felons, are accused of a laundry list of over two dozen crimes, including commercial burglaries and attempted burglaries in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, Alameda and Santa Clara counties, Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

The investigation, which involved the work of the Palo Alto Police Department, linked the men to stealing $309,752 in merchandise from high-end stores across California — including Louis Vuitton in Santa Clara County — between December 2022 and February 2024, according to Bonta.

The men's smash-and-grab operation involved running into stores, grabbing purses and other high-end items — even when the items were locked — and running out, Bonta said.

"Organized retail theft harms businesses, retailers, and consumers – and puts the public at risk," Bonta said in a release.

Investigators also seized five firearms as part of the investigation, Bonta said.

Charges were brought against Isaiah Abdullah, 26, Ishmael Baptist, 25, and Nickolas Mallory, 26, according to court documents.

The trio are accused of organized retail theft, acting together to steal the $309,752 in merchandise with the intent to "sell, exchange, or return the merchandise for value," court documents show.

Prosecutors also laid out a long list of additional charges for the men, connected to specific thefts they're accused of committing both together and separately.

Court documents show Abdullah is accused of thefts totaling:

• $2,790 from Burberry in OC in December 2022
• $15,900 from Prada in San Diego County in February 2023
• $2,685 from Coach in LA County in April 2023
• $2,745 from Coach in LA County in April 2023
• $10,649 from Sunglass Hut in LA County in May 2023
• $15,030 from Louis Vuitton in Santa Clara County in June 2023
• $8,630 from Louis Vuitton in Santa Clara County in June 2023
• $16,950 from Louis Vuitton in San Diego County in August 2023
• $5,095 from Coach in San Diego County in November 2023
• $4,500 from Burberry in San Diego County in November 2023
• $11,295 from Versase in San Diego County in January 2024
• $16,100 from Louis Vuitton in OC in January 2024
• $25,300 from Gucci in Riverside County in February 2024

Court documents show Abdullah and Mallory are accused of thefts totaling:

• $20,282.11 from Burberry in San Diego County in March 2023
• $9,305 from Sunglass Hut in LA County in March 2023
• $30,277.75 from Bottega Veneta in San Diego County in July 2023
• $33,140 from Louis Vuitton in San Diego County in September 2023
• $22,340 from Prada in San Diego County in October 2023
• $6,799 from Burberry in Alameda County in October 2023

Court documents show Mallory is accused of thefts totaling:

• $6,920 from Louis Vuitton in OC in August 2023
• $2,000 from Michael Kors in LA County in September 2023
• $4,619 from Burberry in Riverside County in September 2023

Court documents show Abdullah and Baptist are accused of thefts totaling:

• $23,080 from Louis Vuitton in San Diego County in December 2023
• $13,320 from Maison Margiela in LA County in February 2024

Prosecutors say Baptist committed some or all of the crimes after being released from custody following a prior arrest, according to court documents.

Abdullah in 2018 was convicted of robbery in Orange County. Mallory in 2017 was convicted of robbery in LA County and in 2021 was convicted of intimidating a witness, according to court documents.

The investigation involved a collaboration between the Los Angeles Police Department Organized Retail Task Force and police and sheriff's departments in San Diego, Riverside County, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Livermore and Palo Alto, according to a statement by the attorney general's office.

"Organized retail crime has been plaguing our state for far too long. I want to thank our local law enforcement partners for their work in apprehending the suspects in this case," Bonta said.

LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton said the case highlights how organized retail theft is no longer a local problem, but a regional one that requires partnerships between law enforcement agencies.

“A strong economy, and a feeling of safety should not be disrupted in any community by a delinquent few. We will continue to strengthen public safety and build trust with our businesses and consumers alike, through the incredible work of our local and regional partners," Hamilton said.

Bonta urged members of the public to submit complaints and tips surrounding retail theft to a portal set up by his office.

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