Laguna Beach police confiscate counterfeit accessories

Counterfeit accessories valued at nearly $400,000 were seized by Laguna Beach police Thursday.

Police arrived at Cobbler’s Corner at 985 S. Coast Hwy. with a search warrant and confiscated more than 100 counterfeit purses, hats and accessories valued at $100,000, Lt. Jason Kravetz said in a press release.

While police were inside the store, one of the suppliers of the handbags came to the business. Police detained and her interviewed her. She cooperated with detectives and they went to her South Laguna home where they discovered several hundred counterfeit items with a value of more than $260,000. Police also found nearly two pounds of marijuana.

An undercover police officer had gone to the store prior and examined handbags, which were represented as being produced by Tory Burch, Dooney and Bourke, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chloe and Jimmy Choo.

The companies were contacted, the release said, and they put Laguna Beach police in contact with their private investigation firm. The investigators came to the store and purchased items, which then led them to determine that the items were impostor and violated the manufacturers’ trademarks, the release said.

Police were initially tipped off last month when a mother in Laguna Beach reported that her daughter had brought home a wallet she bought at the store that was said to be Louis Vuitton, the release said. The mother said she inspected it and believed it was fake.

Custom officials confirmed that most of the merchandise was shipped from China.

No arrests have been made and the case is still open, the release said. No names have been released yet.

— Joanna Clay

Twitter: @joannaclay