Police: Thief steals truck full of designer purses

A Costa Mesa self-storage facility was broken into Wednesday night or early Thursday and a truck full of designer purses was stolen, police said.

Officials are waiting for a complete inventory on the stolen box truck’s contents, but Costa Mesa police Sgt. Jerry Souza estimated the loss could be more than $100,000.

At about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, someone flagged down an officer to report the theft, Souza said.

Officers discovered that someone cut through a fence at the Costa Mesa Mini Storage at 2950 Bear St. after 8 p.m. Wednesday

Once inside, the thief managed to get past the truck’s steering-wheel lock and ignored a boot on one of the wheels, Souza said.

After cutting a chain on the entrance’s security gate, the thief drove off, shattering the boot, police said.

Souza said the purses belonged to a local merchant.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck