Traveling thieves strike Best Buy in Ross Township

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Thieves who twice targeted a North Hills electronics store could return to try again, Ross police said Monday.

At least four middle-aged white men working together stole a total of nearly $5,000 worth of merchandise from the Best Buy on McKnight Road on Sept. 22 and Nov. 11, Ross police Sgt. Benjamin Dripps said.

“They commit the theft and are gone for a few weeks,” Dripps said. “We think that pattern will continue.”

Dripps said investigators believe the men are part of an organized retail theft ring traveling along the East Coast. They stole GPS units and calculators from Best Buy, he said.

“They’re very organized and non-confrontational with employees,” Dripps said. “They target items not typically stolen locally. It would appear they’ve contracted with someone for the specific items. They clearly have a plan in place.”

The suspects used a white sport utility vehicle, possibly an older Ford Expedition, in the heists, police said.

In a separate incident, five people, believed to be part of an organized theft ring, stole thousands of dollars worth of Louis Vuitton handbags from the store in Ross Park Mall on Thursday.

Dripps said the incidents are not related because the descriptions of the suspects are different, as are the methods of the thieves.

“Everything is different,” Dripps said.

This article was written by Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE.

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