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Atlanta police say it only took 40 seconds for a group of suspects to make off with $100,000 worth of stolen clothing from a local boutique and they pulled it off via Facetime. WXIA
A robbery suspect is seen on surveillance video inside Moda 404 in Atlanta on April 6, 2016.(Photo: Atlanta Police Department via WXIA-TV, Atlanta)
ATLANTA<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Police say 40 seconds was all it took for a group of alleged robbers to
make off with more than $100,000 in stolen clothing.
It happened earlier this month at the Moda 404, a men's boutique in Buckhead, an affluent Atlanta neighborhood. The shop is so exclusive that customers have to be buzzed in to get inside, but police say that didn't stop the group of suspects from pulling off the take-over robbery.
Surveillance video captured the incident in great detail. At around 8:30 p.m. on April 6, police say a black-colored Dodge Challenger pulled up to the store and one of the suspects was buzzed into the store by a clerk.
The clerk told police that the suspect appeared to be shopping before striking up a conversation about a particular brand of jeans. Meanwhile, a second suspect is let into the business. He can be seen on surveillance video browsing the store with his cellphone out, allegedly using FaceTime to point out items for the thieves to target.
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"It is our understanding that they are watching the video and identifying items that they need to take," said Sgt. Warren Pickard of the Atlanta Police Department.
Moments later, the clerk says the first suspect tells him he is heading to the bank to withdraw money to make a purchase. As he exited the business, surveillance video shows him holding open the door for a group of suspects, who rushed into the store and began snatching clothing from the racks. Time stamps from video shows the entire incident took less than a minute.
During the robbery, police say one of the suspects pulled out a gun and ordered the clerk and another customer to the ground.
The suspects make several trips in and out of the store to collect clothing, putting the clothes in a vehicle that was backed up to the door.
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After the incident, the clerk called 911.
Police say the seven<span style="color: Red;">*</span>suspects appeared to be wearing gloves and were trying to conceal their faces.
"We think that they have participated in smash and grabs. It's just one that they do while the business is actually open," Pickard said.
Police say even though they have made 10 arrests, smash and grabs still plague the city's high-end clothiers.
Follow<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kevin Rowson on Twitter:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>@krowson11alive
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