Just weeks earlier, two suspects pulled the exact same move — walked in, grabbed what they wanted, walked out. Police released surveillance photos in that case too. Before that, a woman snatched $2,000 worth of parkas after asking staff to hold the jackets at the register, then bolted when employees turned their backs.

Earlier this month, three shoplifters were busted in a single hour at the mall — one of whom was carrying fentanyl and crack cocaine and assaulted a police officer during the arrest. In December, a serial shoplifter with seven active warrants was picked up near the Pru after allegedly stealing from Dick's Sporting Goods. He'd been strolling through Boston's busiest retail corridor for weeks despite being wanted on charges including larceny, credit card fraud, and receiving stolen property.

As Mass Daily News reported in December, Boston's once-bustling shopping streets are now plagued by theft — with high-end stores across Back Bay treated like personal wardrobes by emboldened criminals who face little in the way of consequences.