El Paseo retailers confident in security after Gucci store burglary

At least six suspects were caught on camera with a sledgehammer they allegedly used to shatter the front window of the Palm Desert Gucci store’s early Friday morning.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said the group had getaway cars on standby, leading deputies on two pursuits before ultimately getting away.

Captain Jason Huskey of the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station told KESQ & CBS Local 2’s Lauren Coronado there are four business district team members designated to serve Palm Desert businesses, plus a special enforcement team, which Huskey says are deployed where the need is most demanding.

“Those business district officers do foot beats, so they’ll park their car and go. Most of the business merchants on El Paseo and Highway 111 know our police officers by name. They have their phone numbers, and if they have a need they’ll call us,” Huskey said.

That is something El Paseo store owner Candice Held can attest to.

“Crystal was the officer who gave all of us store managers her personal cell phone number during one of our meetings. they’re very helpful and available to us,” Held said.

Her boutique sits across the street from Gucci. She says she’s confident in local law enforcement’s abilities and so is Joanne Kaplan, another local retailer.

“I’ve always felt safe here. I do see Sheriff’s patrolling quite often, the security guards are here regularly,” Kaplan said.

“I always hope they can catch the suspects and I feel that in the past they always have,” Held said. “It seems like it always comes to light in a couple of weeks, so let’s hope.”

So far, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information connected to the burglary is urged to call local authorities.

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