Local Retailer Fights Back Through YouTube

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Perhaps no police inquiry for robbery tips could garner enough attention as a recent YouTube posting.

When Universal Gear in Logan's Circle was robbed by a band of nine thieves last Wednesday, the store's owner decided to post the surveillance video on YouTube after giving another copy to police. The clip has now collected 6,000 views.

"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," says David Franco, who moved his clothing store to the 14th St. location two years ago. "It's our goal by raising awareness that people understand we're not going to tolerate this."

When the incident occurred around 7:00 pm, only two of the store's employees were there to try and stop the band of robbers. The men entered the store one by one in a matter of minutes. The video shows how they swarmed the same racks on the northern side of the store.

"We had seen them on three other occasions here in this store before every other time their attempts have been thwarted," says Kristopher Johnson, the store manager, who was struck in the face by the robbers. " So when I initially saw them come into the store I knew it was bad news."

Johnson told them to leave but when they didn't comply, he called police. Within minutes, says Jorge Sausa, the other employee who was on shift at the time, one of the group's members who was stationed at the door began yelling.

"He's like screaming to the other guys: 'Let's go they're going to lock the door!'" Sausa says. "It was very scary. Everyone else started running outside and I tried to get a pole just to scare them away."

Employees say the men, who they guess to be around 18-20 years old, escaped with merchandise worth $3,000. Since the YouTube posting however, they've learned of more thefts.

"We started getting postings on our website that these are the same guys that have been banned by Pentagon City," says Franco.

As for employees, they aren't frightened or nervous that something similar could happen. However, they take pity on all for the robbers.

"I'm not really so much upset I was assaulted because ultimately that will heal itself," says Johnson. "I'm not upset the clothing was taken from us because we can buy new clothing all day long, it's not going to put us out of business. I guess what kind of is disturbing is the fact that young people today feel like they don't have options or they can't do something better for themselves and the reality of the truth is that anybody can be anything."