Newport Beach : More Suits Slashed at Department Stores

The suit slasher has struck again, this time in two Fashion Island department stores, causing more than $23,000 worth of damage to men’s suits, authorities said.

Newport Beach Police Lt. Tim Riley said Thursday that security officials at Robinson’s and Neiman Marcus department stores reported that dozens of men’s suits had been slashed sometime over the weekend. Both stores noticed some of the damaged suits earlier in the week but did not report the incidents until Thursday, Riley said.

Robinson’s took the greatest loss in this latest rash of slashings, with 30 ruined suits resulting in $18,000 in damages, Riley said. Neiman Marcus suffered a loss of $5,600 when eight of their suits were slashed, he said.

Neiman Marcus officials reported that their suits were all slashed on the left side, back panel, Riley said.

The incident was similar to one late last month in which expensive men’s suits, dress shoes and jogging clothes worth more than $22,000 were destroyed at two South Coast Plaza department stores.

More than $48,000 in men’s suits were slashed in the same manner between November, 1986, and July, 1987, at stores in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, authorities said.

Police would not speculate on whether the same person is doing all the slashing. No one has been arrested in the incidents.