''What's really been advantageous about this posting is it's gotten other retailers to call us and let us know that they too have been victims of the same band of criminals.''

David Franco of Universal Gear, a men's fashion store located that somewhat recently moved to 14th & P Streets from 17th Street. It appears that nine young men swarmed the store and ran out with armfuls of merchandise reportedly estimated to be worth $3,000. The post of the crime on YouTube has been seen thousands of times. It's being reported that very similar crimes have occurred at Rue 14 involving women, and again in Georgetown and at Fashion Centre in Pentagon City. (WUSA) (YouTube) (DCist)