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Thieves steal $150K in purses from Neiman Marcus in Fashion Valley

A group of masked thieves broke into a department store at Fashion Valley mall hours before sunrise Friday and stole armloads of expensive purses, resulting in a six-figure monetary loss, authoriti...

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A group of masked thieves broke into a department store at Fashion Valley mall hours before sunrise Friday and stole armloads of expensive purses, resulting in a six-figure monetary loss, authorities reported.    

One of the bandits shattered a glass front door at the Neiman Marcus in the 7000 block of Friars Road and entered with about 15 accomplices shortly before 3:30 a.m., according to San Diego police.

"It happened quickly. They were in and out in less than two minutes. This was very brazen. We have not see anything like this in the City of San Diego for a long time," said Captain Paul Connelly, San Diego Police.     

The burglars, all of whom were dressed in dark clothing and had their faces covered, gathered up various brand-name handbags before fleeing.

"They were very organized. They knew exactly what they were looking for and where it was located," said Capt. Connelly.     

They left the area in five vehicles, included a white SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Tahoe, with tinted windows and black rims; a late-model silver Ford Taurus; and three four-door sedans of unknown make and model, two of them red and the other gray. All of the autos had paper license plates.    

The losses were estimated at $100,000 to $150,000, officials said.    

Anyone with information about the burglary was asked to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or contact the agency online at sdcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

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