In the early hours of August 6, 2025, a smash-and-grab burglary rocked the small business community in La Puente, California, when One Stop Sales, a boutique toy shop, was targeted by a group of masked thieves. Their singular focus: the wildly popular Labubu dolls, a collectible toy that has captured the imaginations—and wallets—of fans worldwide. Surveillance footage from inside the store captured the harrowing scene as at least four individuals smashed through the front door just after 1:29 a.m., bypassing electronics, cash, and other merchandise to haul away dozens of boxes containing the coveted plush monsters.
Co-owner Joanna Avendano, who opened the shop with her family only two months earlier, described the emotional toll of the incident. "We worked so hard to get to this point, and for them to just come in and, like nothing, take it all away, it's really bad," she told ABC7, her voice still shaken from the ordeal. That night, Avendano was jolted awake by a gut feeling. "Once I checked my phone, I saw there was motion, a sound that was coming through the front," she recalled. Helpless, she watched the break-in unfold in real time through her security camera app. "I was watching everything, from when they got in, what they were taking. I was panicking because I was just ... I couldn't do anything."
The burglars’ precision was unsettling. They ignored higher-ticket electronics and even the cash register, focusing solely on the Labubu dolls—adorable, toothy, fluffy monster figures that have become a global sensation. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the retail value of the stolen dolls was approximately $7,000. However, Avendano and other reports, including The Guardian and Daily Mail, estimate the real loss at closer to $30,000, factoring in the dolls’ soaring resale value. Some Labubu dolls, which retail for about $30, have fetched hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the resale market. Earlier this year, a life-size Labubu sold at auction in Beijing for a jaw-dropping $170,000, as reported by ABC7.
Labubu dolls, which debuted in China in 2015 under the creative vision of designer Kasing Lung and are made and sold exclusively by Pop Mart, have become a global phenomenon. Their viral popularity is fueled by TikTok trends and celebrity endorsements from the likes of Rihanna, Lizzo, and BLACKPINK's Lisa. Fans often attach Labubus to handbags or backpacks, turning them into quirky fashion statements. The dolls’ appeal is further heightened by their scarcity and the "blind box" sales system, where buyers don’t know which design they’re getting until they open the box. This system, as Alex DePaoli, an associate teaching professor of marketing at Northeastern University, explained to ABC News, "is essentially where you don't know what's in the box, you hope that what's in the box is what you want. If you don't get what you want, you've got to go buy another one. A lot of folks have sort of likened that sort-of system to almost gambling."
Pop Mart, the company behind Labubu, has seen its revenue double in 2024, reaching $1.8 billion, according to its annual financial report. The company’s success has not only made Labubu a must-have item for collectors and fashionistas alike but has also spawned a shadow economy of counterfeits, known as "Lafufus," made with lower-quality materials and often sold through unofficial channels. The intense demand for authentic Labubus has led to scenes of chaos at pop-up shops and store launches, with crowds lining up for hours and social media buzzing with unboxing videos and trade offers.
Back in La Puente, the circumstances surrounding the burglary suggest that the crime was anything but random. Avendano noted a suspicious truck parked near the store before closing on Tuesday, August 5, and suspects the thieves had been monitoring the shop’s social media accounts. Just before the break-in, the store had posted a video announcing a new restock of Labubus. "The timing of the break-in also raised red flags," Avendano said, adding that the burglars seemed to know exactly what they were after and where to find it.
After the incident, One Stop Sales shared images of the aftermath on social media: shattered glass, product debris strewn across the floor, and empty shelves where the Labubu dolls once sat. The store’s Instagram post read, "Today we got robbed, and they took all of our inventory, trashed our store. We are still in shock." The emotional impact has been profound, not just for the owners but for the local community that had rallied around the family business since its opening.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene at 1:29 a.m. and quickly began their investigation. Surveillance footage clearly showed the suspects and the white Toyota Tacoma used in the crime. Deputies later recovered the stolen vehicle, but as of press time, the suspects remain at large. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward, hoping that someone will recognize the suspects or the distinctive truck seen near the shop before the burglary.
The incident has highlighted both the risks and the rewards of the booming collectible toy market. As DePaoli put it, "They're not just toys, they are accessories. They are things that you can collect, not just to dress them up, not just be amused by, but also to complete an outfit." The blend of scarcity, celebrity buzz, and the thrill of the blind box has created a perfect storm of demand—one that, unfortunately, has also attracted criminal attention.
For Avendano and her family, the path forward is uncertain. "We just want justice," she said. "And we want our store to feel safe again." The story of One Stop Sales and the Labubu heist is a stark reminder of how even the most whimsical trends can have serious real-world consequences, especially when they collide with the darker side of human nature.
As the investigation continues and the Labubu craze shows no sign of slowing down, collectors and shop owners alike are left to wonder: how far will people go for the latest must-have item? For now, at least, the shelves at One Stop Sales are a little emptier, but the spirit of the community—and the allure of Labubu—remains undimmed.
