DANVERS — A brazen robbery at the Giblees clothing store in Danvers was all caught on video.
For the third time in just two months, thieves have come into the store looking for Canada Goose jackets, which range from $900. Police say four women and a man marched into the store in a single file and stole around 15 coats.
But this time, employees decided to fight back.
Surveillance video shows a confrontation between store employees and a group of robbers. Store employees rushed to the front of the store trying to block a group of five people from running out with $15,000 worth of the Canada Goose winter jackets.
“They hit me with a hanger in the face, cut me here, here and here. One tried to claw my eye,” said Richard, a store employee, who declined to give his full name.
It happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The group marched inito the Danvers store in single file - one of them stopping to dance in front of surveillance cameras - before making it to the back and grabbing as many winter jackets as they could.
"They were brazen about it. They grabbed 2,3,4,6 (jackets) per person and darted for the door,: Richard said.
He said adrenaline kicked in when he tried to stop them.
"I can’t believe I got involved. I can’t believe I got involved – but it got very scary," he said.
Alan Gibeley estimates his store has lost close to $45,000 this season alone to people stealing the highly-sought-after Canada Goose jackets.
“To be violated like this. I’m 3rd generation to my store, it’s like my home so for you to steal from me, is like taking from my home and that’s not comfortable,” Gibeley said.
Not even a week ago, Gibeley said he spent close to $10,000 installing 16 new surveillance cameras, ones both high and low to catch the burglars in case they come back.
“That was very expensive. We have surveillance cameras across the entire building now so the cost is immense, especially for a small company,” he said.
Thanks to those cameras and employees catching the burglars’ license plate, Gibeley said Danvers Police told him the thieves were arrested.
Still, they’re hoping the store won’t fall victim yet again.
“We got hit enough, keep away from us,” Richard said. “It’s very scary.”
Gibeley said since they’ve been hit so many times, his store will now keep the Canada Goose jackets locked up in a back room and sell them by appointment only.