A smoke shop in Highland Park is the latest local business to fall victim to a smash-and-grab robbery.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers responded to the area of South Avenue 55 and Figueroa Street at 4:37 a.m. Saturday morning on radio calls of a burglary.
Surveillance footage from the business shows the suspects entering an office and hastily stealing cash from a drawer in addition to other items, including cigarette cartons.
The store’s owner says they took nearly $9,000 worth of merchandise.
The four suspects fled in a silver sedan that appeared to have no back license plate. They were only described as Black men.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the LAPD.
Surveillance footage from the business shows the men entering an office and hastily stealing cash from a drawer in addition to other items, including cigarette cartons. 
Surveillance footage from the business shows the men entering an office and hastily stealing cash from a drawer in addition to other items, including cigarette cartons. 
The four suspects fled in a silver sedan that appeared to have no back license plate. 
Surveillance footage from the business shows the men entering an office and hastily stealing cash from a drawer in addition to other items, including cigarette cartons.
This burglary marks the most recent incident in a string of organized thefts targeting retailers across SoCal.
At least 20 suspects stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a Nordstrom in Topanga in August, and another Nordstrom in Orange County was burglarized on Monday.
Also in August, a Nike store in East Los Angeles had nearly $1,000 in products stolen by three suspects. In addition, a flash mob targeted the Macy’s at the Westfield Fashion Square on Aug. 25.
Department stores aren’t the only retailers being targeted; two suspects walked into a lingerie store in San Bernardino on Wednesday, assaulting employees and making off with $500 worth of merchandise.
The LAPD has formed the Organized Retail Crime Task Force in an effort to stop the uptick in retail thefts. Recently, the task force seized nearly $200,000 worth of products stolen from Victoria’s Secret and CVS stores and arrested 11 individuals in connection with various flash mob robberies across the region.
