Thieves followed an Irvine woman to her home after noting she went on an expensive shopping spree at a Costa Mesa mall and took off with several luxury items after they ransacked her place.
A woman named Lucy, who did not wish to provide her last name out of fear for her safety, said she treated herself to a shopping trip at South Coast Plaza on Saturday and purchased two Chanel purses. Hours later, however, they were stolen from her home.
“They follow you in the mall, they follow you to your car and they follow you to your home to find out where you live,” Lucy said.
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The burglary victim said she dropped her purchases off at home then left to join her family for dinner. When she returned, she noticed her front door was damaged and her home had been burglarized.
“They took all my watches, my rings, my bracelets, my expensive purses, money; they even took some coats,” she said.
In total, the thieves stole roughly $100,000 worth of goods from the Orange County resident. In a similar incident, the Irvine Police Department shared they arrested two men last week after a shopper reported they were being followed after they left South Coast Plaza.
Irvine police said the two men were part of an organized crime group. The department did not release their names, but they described them as Colombian nationals who were booked on conspiracy charges.
Investigators are looking to see if last week’s arrest is connected with the burglary at Lucy’s home. In the meantime, the investigation is ongoing.
