By Andrea Cavallier for Dailymail.Com
17:53 May 28, 2023, updated 12:14 May 29, 2023
Three men face multiple robbery charges after shocking video footage showed a brazen $7,000 theft at a Lululemon store in Atlanta, which led to the firing of two store employees for confronting the masked thieves.
Quintavious Gooch, 19, Braylon Shivers, 20, and Bayo Allen, 19, were arrested two days after the April 24 incident and are currently serving jail at the Fayette County Jail in Georgia.
In shocking video, the thieves ransacked the Peachtree Corners store – which has recently seen a spate of robberies – stole armfuls of the expensive sportswear, then fled in their getaway vehicle.
Quintavious Gooch, 19, Braylon Shivers, 20, and Bayo Allen, 19, remain in custody after video showed a $7,000 robbery at a Lululemon store in Peachtree Corners, Atlanta. Quintavious Gooch, 19, is charged with shoplifting. Theft by receiving stolen property. Braylon Shivers, 20, is charged with theft by shoplifting, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana. Bayo Allen, 19, is charged with theft by shoplifting and theft by receiving stolen property
Video of the brazen robbery was posted to Facebook last week by Jason Ferguson, husband of former Deputy CEO Jennifer Ferguson. Both claim she was fired from her job at the store for calling the police about the thieves.
“This was the fifth (maybe almost tenth) time this group robbed the store without Lululemon taking action to contain the robberies and keep employees safe,” Jason Ferguson ranted in his post.
However, Lululemon has a policy of not impeding robberies to ensure the safety of its employees, according to its manual.
Rachel Rogers, 23, who worked as a shop assistant, chronicled the recent robbery and said the store had been a victim of the same gang of thieves for weeks.
They said the thieves would regularly strike about an hour before the store closed to steal as much merchandise as possible from the shelves and tables closest to the door, and then flee to their getaway car.
Police released an image of the SUV’s interior filled with stolen Lululemon merchandise. Four men were arrested at the scene on April 26. Police located the red Subaru SUV, even though the suspects had changed the license plate
A Lululemon spokesman told investigators that four men wearing identical clothing were responsible for another robbery at a Lululemon store in the greater Atlanta area that same week. It’s unclear if the suspects were charged with both robberies.
“No, no, no, you can march back out,” Ferguson is heard yelling at a masked thief who is stealing leggings from a display while his accomplice holds the door open for him during the recent robbery. Another thief rushes in and grabs more clothes.
Ferguson, mother of four, then exclaims, “Seriously.” Get out! Exit!’
“Relax bitch, shut your ass,” one of the thieves is heard saying to her.
Employees followed the thieves outside, where they loaded the goods into their getaway trucks.
They did not physically attempt to stop the thieves, but instead called Gwinnett Police, who were able to locate the red Subaru SUV, even though the suspects had changed license plates during their escape.
But Ferguson and Rogers claim they were fired for trying to stop her and for violating “employee policy” not to get involved in a robbery.
Jennifer Ferguson (pictured) and Rachel Rogers were allegedly fired for trying to stop the thieves and “violating staff handbook guidelines” not to interfere in a robbery. Rachel Rogers said the reason for her sacking was not clear, aside from being told there had been “a robbery.” Shocking footage shows masked robbers stealing merchandise from displays outside the Lululemon store in Atlanta before rushing to their getaway car
A Lululemon spokesperson said, “The safety of our employees and guests is always a top priority for Lululemon and we have policies and protocols in place to maintain a safe environment.”
It added: “We take theft and vandalism very seriously and our current focus is on supporting our educators as well as continuing to work with local partners and law enforcement.”
The women claim the company also reports robberies internally rather than alerting authorities — yet the employee handbook tells employees to call 911 immediately after suspects leave the store.
Jennifer said, “We’re not supposed to get in each other’s way.” They clear the way for whatever they’re going to do.
“And when it’s over, scan a QR code.” And that’s that. We were told not to write it down in notes because it might scare other people. “We shouldn’t call the police and actually not talk about it.”
She and Rogers said they were fired for violating policy and were told there was a “zero tolerance policy.”
“It wasn’t very clear. They didn’t give specific reasons other than simply saying they had a “no tolerance policy,” Rogers said.
And Jennifer said the same thing, adding, “They said I was fired immediately with no severance pay because they have a zero tolerance policy.”
Her husband added that Gwinnett police arrived quickly after being alerted to the robbery and that four officers came forward to testify, expressing concern that they had never been informed of the previous thefts.
According to him, their report led to the suspects being arrested the next day while attempting to steal from another Lululemon store in Peachtree City.
This is because stores across the US are seeing a sharp rise in crime and millions of dollars in losses have forced some large retailers to close stores as rampant theft plagues businesses.
The incident happened at the Lululemon store in Peachtree Corners. Lululemon’s policy for the safety of its employees is not to interfere with robberies
Shoplifting rates have reached alarming proportions, and major retailers including Target, Macy’s and Best Buy are now acting on threats against stores unless petty crime is reduced.
In 2021, retailers lost a total of $94.5 billion to shrinkage, a term used to describe theft and other types of inventory losses. According to the 2022 National Retail Security Survey, organized retail crime incidents increased by 26.5 percent in the same year.
Brazen daylight theft and self-checkouts have also made it easier for people to leave the store without paying.
Workers at a Target store in San Francisco report being shoplifted every 10 minutes.
Employees say they observed people actively “scooping” goods into sacks before heading out.
Merchandise, including trays of lipstick and nail polish, are stripped out daily by shoplifters.
