2 Twin Cities Best Buy Stores Hit By Thieves On Black Friday

MINNESOTA — Two Best Buy locations in the Twin Cities — one in Maplewood and another in Burnsville — were hit by mass thefts on Black Friday.

In Maplewood, police said a group of about 10-12 adults and juveniles entered the Best Buy in the 1700 block of County Road East D at the same time to steal multiple high value items, describing it as a "grab and run" theft. Among the stolen items were hoverboards, televisions and tablets, according to police.

The suspects were gone when police arrived. Maplewood police say they are looking into whether the group may be connected to any other similar thefts in the region.

In Burnsville, about 20-30 people entered the store on Aldrich Avenue just after 8 p.m. Friday and stole items, KARE-11 reports.

Richfield-based Best Buy released the following statement to KARE-11:

"Retailers across the country are seeing spikes in crime. These incidents have been, by and large, non-violent though often traumatic for those who witnessed them. As an industry, we are working with local law enforcement and taking additional security precautions where it makes sense."

Across the country, police departments are reporting shoplifters taking advantage of the Black Friday frenzy to slip away with merchandise without paying.

Earlier in the week, Best Buy's shares were down after the company posted a decline in gross profit margin for the fiscal third quarter, citing organized theft and increased promotions compared to a year ago.

“We are definitely seeing more and more particularly organized retail crime and incidents of shrink in our locations," Best Buy CEO Corie Barry told analysts during a conference call. "This is a real issue that hurts and scares real people."

D'Ann White and The Associated Press contributed to this report.