A man was arrested early Thursday after he attempted to steal more than $22,000 worth of high-end merchandise from a luxury department store in Buckhead, authorities said.
Zabare Royale, 33, was taken into custody after officers said they found him looking through merchandise in a shoe stockroom at Saks Fifth Avenue along Peachtree Road. The store is located at Phipps Plaza and is across the street from Lenox Square.
“Get down, get the (expletive) down,” bodycam footage released by the department showed responding officers yelling as they placed Royale in handcuffs.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following video contains offensive language.
Burglar Attempts to Steal Over $22K in High-End Merchandise On Thursday, January 5, 2023, at around 1:02 AM, Atlanta police responded to a silent alarm at Saks Fifth Avenue located at 3440 Peachtree Rd NE. Upon their arrival, officers met with onsite security who advised a male, wearing all black, was seen on surveillance cameras walking around the store taking items, and placing them into a suitcase. Officers entered the business and began a sweep of the men’s section located on the second floor. During this time, officers located a male, matching the suspect's description in the shoe stockroom. The male was immediately detained without incident. Further investigation revealed the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Zabare Royale, was able to enter the store through an emergency exit door. Officers were able to recover the luggage Mr. Royale was seen with and recovered some of the stolen high-end merchandise totaling over $22,000. Officers also recovered a bookbag belonging to Mr. Royale that contained a wire cutter, hammer, screwdriver, and other miscellaneous items. He was charged with Burglary, Theft by Taking and Possession of tools for the Commission of a Felony and transported to the Fulton County Jail.
Posted by City of Atlanta Police Department on Thursday, January 5, 2023
Police said they responded to the store around 1 a.m. after a silent alarm was tripped. Onsite security personnel told officers that a man, wearing all black, was seen on surveillance footage walking around the store and placing items into a suitcase.
Officers conducted a sweep of the men’s section on the second floor, where they located a man, later identified as Royale, who matched the description of the person in the footage, police said. The investigation revealed the suspect entered the store through an emergency exit.
Officers recovered the luggage Royale was seen with, along with some of the stolen merchandise that totaled about $22,000, police said. They also found a wire cutter, hammer, screwdriver and other items inside a backpack that allegedly belonged to the suspect, according to authorities.
Royale was booked into the Fulton County Jail and is facing charges of burglary, theft by taking and possession of tools for the commission of a felony.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
