Yesterday, a group of robbers employed a brazen tactic to rob a men's clothing store on Detroit's Avenue of Fashion, driving an SUV through the storefront before making off with goods. FOX 2 Detroit reports that the City Man clothing store was victim to a "smash-and-grab" when thieves crashed a Jeep Cherokee into the store around 3:45 a.m., with six suspects rapidly grabbing merchandise that included high-end clothing items.
The owner of the store recounted that the robbers left a trail of dropped items as they fled the scene; despite immediate efforts, the Detroit Police are still on the hunt for the suspects, according to WWJ Newsradio. Though the City Man store has experienced prior attempts at theft, this particular incident was distinguished by its severity and recklessness, as suspects were seen on surveillance targeting high-priced items, making this event particularly devastating for the business owner and representing a stark escalation in the kind of risks these criminals are willing to take.
Local businesses along the Avenue of Fashion expressed their shock and concern over the recent crime, with Joe Lanier of Terry's Wigs and Lashes telling FOX 2 Detroit that such incidents are bad for business and harmful to the community spirit, especially since new businesses are sprouting up in the area. Dolphin Michael, the president of the Avenue of Fashion Business Association, despite regretting the incident, noted that the police had an eight-minute response time and reassured that "the business is good, the area is good."
City Man's manager, Todd McKinney, provided more context to WXYZ, estimating that the break-in resulted in a loss of roughly $20,000 from structural damage and stolen merchandise, such as $300 jeans and tops priced between $200 and $300. These smash-and-grab thefts are not an anomaly, with businesses like Hype House in Royal Oak and J-Bee’s on Detroit's east side also facing recent repeated burglaries. This time of year often sees a surge in retail theft ahead of the holiday season, McKinney remarked, showing the wider pattern of crime spikes that retailers dread annually.
