The three individuals accused of stealing an art piece from Giant Robot Store’s GR2 Gallery earlier this month have denied the allegation against them, the Los Angeles business announced in an update.
Details of the incident: The alleged theft, which was caught on surveillance video, occurred at the gallery at 2062 Sawtelle Blvd. at around 3:45 p.m. on April 12. In the video, a woman is seen taking an object on display and placing something in her bag before walking away with two male companions.
What the store is saying: Giant Robot Store, known for selling Asian pop culture products, initially referred to the individuals as the “thieving trio” in a now-deleted Instagram post. In an update on Friday, it said it now believes the companions are “innocent” after speaking with them.
- “We believe that the two are innocent for a myriad of reasons in this art theft — regardless of how the video may appear,” the store said, adding that both are helping to retrieve the stolen piece.
- The alleged perpetrator, however, has denied taking anything from the gallery. “To our and their [companions’] dismay, the perpetrator claims they (the perpetrator) did not take anything from GR2,” the store noted.
What people are saying: Instagram users are rejecting the alleged perpetrator’s denial.
- “Uh, hello lady! There’s a video of you placing it in your purse!” one pointed out.
- Another commented, “Wild that she’d claim she didn’t steal anything when there’s literally camera evidence. WTF??? Name and shame time.”
What’s next: The incident has been reported to police. The store said it has yet to receive an update to its “subsequent phone calls.”
