LOS ANGELES — A group of masked thieves stole about $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls from a Los Angeles-area store this past week, authorities said.
A customer shows a new Labubu doll to media July 25 during the opening of Germany's first shop for Labubu plush dolls in Berlin.
Markus Schreiber, Associated Press
The incident took place early Wednesday morning at a store in La Puente, a city about 18 miles east of Los Angeles, the LA County Sheriff's Department said.
The department said the suspects used a stolen Toyota Tacoma, which was recovered shortly after the incident. The agency said it was investigating the case and did not have additional information.
Labubu dolls, created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, became a popular collectible item a decade after the toothy monsters were first introduced.
Chinese toy maker Pop Mart is forecasting a 350 per cent profit jump for the first half of 2025 as global demand for the wildly popular Labubu characters surges.
CBC English
Toy vendor One Stop Sales said in an Instagram post that the thieves took all of the store's inventory and trashed the establishment.
The store posted surveillance footage showing a group of people wearing hoodies and face coverings breaking in. The suspects are seen shuffling through items and carrying boxes out of the shop.
"We are still in shock," the store said in its post, urging people to help find the thieves.
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