Seattle police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspects or who has any helpful information to call its non-emergency line.
SEATTLE — Masked thieves stole an estimated $50,000 worth of Seattle Seahawks jerseys from a sports apparel store near Lumen Field early Sunday morning, taking advantage of surging Super Bowl demand.
The break-in happened just before 4 a.m. on Feb. 1 at Pro Image Sports along First Avenue in Seattle’s Stadium District. Surveillance footage shows three suspects, dressed in all black, forcing their way into the store and heading straight for high-demand Seahawks merchandise.
As an alarm blared inside, the video shows what police and store staff describe as a fast, targeted theft. In total, investigators estimate the thieves stole hundreds of jerseys valued at approximately $50,000.
“They knew what product was the hottest,” store co-owner Klayton Frongner said. “The royal blue jerseys came in.”
The timing of the burglary was no coincidence. It occurred at the height of Super Bowl excitement, when demand for Seahawks merchandise is at its peak.
“Now is our time where we take a lot of pride in having the right inventory,” the owner said. “We’re loaded up on Seahawks stuff.”
According to Frongner, thieves cut through a thick piece of metal on the front gate and used a crowbar on the front door to gain access. In less than two minutes, the suspects cleared large sections of the store’s jersey wall. Before-and-after images from inside the shop show rows of jerseys missing after the break-in.
Thieves steal $50K worth of Seahawks jerseys
“Now, unfortunately, that’ll probably be getting sold on the black market,” Frongner said.
The stolen jerseys can be identified by a unique barcode sticker attached to the tag, also called a SKU. He said the off-white colored sticker will likely say “NFL Game Jersey” in white font set against a black background. Right under that, it will say the price.
Frongner added, “Most of the jerseys they took would be a Mitchell and Ness $175 jersey.”
Pro Image Sports also reported an estimated $2,300 in property damage as a result of the burglary. The suspects left the area before officers arrived, according to Seattle Police Department, who did not make any arrests.
Customers shopping in the store expressed frustration over the theft.
“That’s just horrible,” Seahawks fan Jeff Turner said.
He also said the crime reinforces the importance of buying authentic gear from trusted retailers.
“I love the authenticity,” Turner said. “That’s why I live in Lake Stevens, and I drove all the way down here.”
Despite the loss, the store says it remains open and stocked.
“Luckily, we are locally owned and do our own buying, and love to load up on products,” Frongner said. “So still a lot of gear to sell.”
Seattle police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspects or sees large quantities of royal blue Seahawks jerseys being resold to contact the SPD non-emergency line at 206-625-5011.
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