Crooks steal $97K in merchandise from West St. Paul Foot Locker

It could have been a scene right out of the heist comedy "Ocean's Eleven," but the folks at the West St. Paul Foot Locker are hardly laughing about the loss of $97,000 in merchandise stolen during a break-in earlier this month.

Police in West St. Paul still are trying to figure out how the crooks gained access to a vacant storefront in the Signal Hills Shopping Center, then cut through drywall to get into the athletic footwear and apparel retailer. Once inside, they carted away hats, clothing and shoes, including brands that had not been released yet, said Lt. Brian Sturgeon of the West St. Paul Police Department.

Employees who showed up for work at 10 a.m. on Jan. 16 reported seeing broken drywall in the storeroom, then noticed that merchandise had been cleared off the shelves. Police believe more than one person was involved in the heist.

With that many items taken, "I'm certain they needed more than a car to escape in," Sturgeon said. "They probably needed a larger van or box truck."

According to police, the thieves entered a vacant area in the strip mall late on Jan. 15 or early Jan. 16. The crooks went undetected because the vacant store did not have an alarm. They busted through a wall to get into the Foot Locker's back storage room.

It was only when the thieves entered the showroom about 1:10 a.m. on Jan. 16 that a motion sensor tripped an alarm.

Police arrived but "everything looked secure," Sturgeon said, noting the exterior door was locked.

Surveillance video inside the store didn't yield many clues as to who the perpetrators were, Sturgeon said, but added that investigators have a few leads they are looking into.

They also are watching Craigslist and other sites to see if any stolen merchandise turns up there.

Sturgeon hopes someone may know something that might help police find the goods and the people who took the items — perhaps someone who saw a large box truck or van near the Signal Hills Foot Locker in the early morning hours of Jan. 16.

Tips can be phoned in to the West St. Paul Police Department at 651-552-4200 or submitted on the department's website or Facebook page.