Kitson boutique burglarized in West Hollywood: Thief tunneled through wall

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- The high-fashion Kitson boutique on Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood was broken into by a burglar who stole merchandise Wednesday night. The thief apparently used construction equipment to tunnel through a wall.

Investigators believe the thief spent 18 minutes in the store. Store security cameras reportedly captured the incident.

"We've had a 'Shawshank Redemption' moment," said Kitson LA Stores Director Mark Peters. "Someone has literally burrowed through our walls to come into our store."

Peters can't believe the measures the thief took to break in. The suspect, who Peters describes as a 6-foot-tall man, tunneled his way inside by cutting holes in the dry wall of a public bathroom behind the store.

"They had to obviously case the joint, check us out, look at the patterns, see what times we close, and had to get a good understanding of just the store, the store layout, and I guess our vulnerability," said Peters.

It happened at about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday but store employees didn't find out until they showed up to work Thursday morning. That's when they called authorities.

By then the thief was long gone with thousands of dollars in merchandise.

But curiously, the thief left behind the most expensive items.

"This was a very specific heist," said Peters.

Targeting just one designer, Brian Lichtenberg's Homies line -- $8,000 worth and nothing else.

"It's amazingly crazy considering everything we carry -- he's an amazing designer, we love him," said Peters. "It's tongue in cheek, it's witty, it's clever, Rihanna, lots of great stars wear it and love it. So it's a hot item. Now it's literally a hot item on the street."

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