Caught on camera: thieves steal sneakers worth thousands from Devonshire Mall

A quartet of alleged thieves pried their way into a Devonshire Mall apparel store early Monday morning, with the store’s owner reporting thousands of dollars worth of shoes were stolen.

BB Branded Lifestyle & Sneaker Boutique was hit by the masked group around 5:30 a.m., according to owner Ayad Saddy.

He said he was awoken by the alarm notification and watched the theft unfold live on security cameras.

“They rushed in, and it was a free-for-all,” Saddy said. “They grabbed everything they could and just kept going back in and out, in and out.”

In the security camera footage, four individuals wearing hoodies can be seen prying open the store’s back door with a crowbar and loading the stolen goods into a waiting pickup truck.

Thieves steal merchandise from BB Branded on Monday, September 23, 2024 (Source: Ayad Saddy)

Saddy said he called mall security when he saw what was happening, but by the time a guard arrived, the culprits were gone.

“I believe it obviously was targeted because it doesn't look like they went to any other door,” Saddy said. “They came right to our door and did what they did.”

The door used by the suspects is unmarked, but Saddy said he had theories about how they knew where to go.

“We have some ideas,” he said. “But there is an ongoing investigation, so we'll see what the outcome is.”

A spokesperson for Windsor police confirmed to CTV News that officers are investigating the incident.

BB Branded first opened in 2003 and, according to the owner, has exclusive licensing agreements with Nike to sell highly sought-after footwear.

Staff are still conducting inventory to determine the full extent of the losses, and some online orders have already been cancelled due to missing stock.

Saddy posted the security footage to social media, hoping someone might recognize the truck or the suspects.

He said the community has rallied around the store, with some people scouring resale platforms like Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace for any signs of the stolen shoes.

“Waking up yesterday morning was sad,” Saddy stated. “But the overwhelming love and support, the positive comments, the community coming together and trying to help us changes everything for me. So it just went from a negative day to a positive day.”

BB Branded is offering a $1,000 reward for any information leading to the recovery of the stolen shoes.