A nearly $60,000 sofa made famous by Gigi Hadid was stolen from a Los Angeles furniture store after the business was burgled in the middle of the night.
The Mah Jong sofa – worth $58,000 – was snatched from the Merit store in Beverlywood by a thief in the early hours of Monday morning.
Owner Paul Bearman told NBC4 In Los Angeles, he has spent the days since the theft investigating after the devious thief cut off the video feed on a camera outside the store.
The man knew exactly what he was looking for. He took nothing else. Broke in, grabbed that one item and left,” Bearman said of the $58,000 piece of furniture.
The high-end but divisive Roche Bobois sofa first rose to fame after model Gigi Hadid shared photos of it after remodeling her New York apartment.
A nearly $60,000 sofa made famous by Gigi Hadid was stolen from a Los Angeles furniture store after the business was burgled in the middle of the night
The Mah Jong sofa – worth $58,000 – was seized by a thief from the Merit store in Beverlywood in the early hours of Monday morning
The high-end but divisive Roche Bobois sofa first rose to fame after model Gigi Hadid shared photos of it after remodeling her New York apartment
According to Bearman, the thief targeted the bank because he ignored all other items in the store, including “stuff that is hard to find.”
Merit also sells items such as mid-century furniture, art, and even taxidermy.
However, the thief had no eye for anything other than the now infamous bank.
“It’s called the Mah Jong bank. Missoni fabric — it’s kind of like a woman’s dress. It’s just really beautiful — silk and corduroy — a beautiful pattern,” Bearman said.
Surveillance footage given to NBC 4 shows a man backing up in a white van in front of the company before getting out and cutting off the video feed.
The man then allegedly kicked in the front glass door before tearing the couch apart pillow by pillow to steal the item.
After the police arrived to remove the details, the store’s owner issued an appeal to the public via social media, offering a reward for information about the stolen sofa.
“$1000 bucks if you find a listing of someone trying to sell it,” Bearman wrote.
According to Bearman, the thief targeted the bank because he ignored all the other items in the store, including “things that are hard to find.”
“It’s called the Mah Jong bank. Missoni fabric — it’s kind of like a woman’s dress. It’s just really beautiful — silk and corduroy — a beautiful pattern,” Bearman said
The van the man used in the theft. Surveillance footage captured this image before it was cut
Surveillance footage given to NBC 4 shows a man backing up in a white van in front of the company before getting out and cutting off the video feed
The man who stole the couch kicked in the front glass door before tearing the couch apart pillow by pillow to steal the item
The spot where the sofa once stood is now empty in the Beverlywood store
“$1000 bucks if you find a mention of someone trying to sell it,” Bearman wrote on Instagram
Fortunately, the public responded and were able to point the owner in the right direction.
“It got a ton of attention and we even got some hits on it,” Bearman said.
“There was an anonymous tip that said the exact words, ‘I know who took your couch,'” the owner told him.
Bearman was sent a video from an anonymous tipster showing a person exiting a white van outside an apartment complex hours after the incident.
The man can then be seen in one clip with the incredibly unique couch cushions stacked on top of each other on a cart.
“You see him unload my sofa, which is extremely specific in pattern and color, and just transport it to his house,” Bearman said.
The owner said he immediately recognized the person and was working with other business owners to address the issue.
Bearman has since posted several stories on Instagram identifying a man he believes is responsible for the theft.
He says he would like to see the man arrested and his couch returned.
“For me, it’s more about the principle and the offense,” Bearman said.
As of Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department has not yet made an arrest and said the investigation is ongoing.
This is the security camera the thief cut off during the Monday morning incident
Bearman was sent a video from an anonymous tipster showing a person exiting a white van outside an apartment complex hours after the incident
Bearman was sent a video from an anonymous tipster showing a person exiting a white van outside an apartment complex hours after the incident
This is Merit in Beverlywood where the theft happened Monday morning
This is the suspect accused of stealing the $58,000 couch from the LA store
The Roche Bobois sofa is featured in an Instagram photo by Gigi Hadid
The $58,000 sofa is known for its bright colors and loud patterns
While the couch may be labeled as luxury at its best, it’s most associated with being the centerpiece of model Gigi Hadid’s New York apartment that turned heads in 2020.
Hadid said of the house that it was her “passion project/dream place,” but social media didn’t see the vision, labeling it “hideous” and “cursed.”
“Gigi hadid is a great example of how wealth is wasted on the rich oh my GOD that ugly house,” one Twitter user snapped.
“Gigi Hadid’s house looks like the one I designed on Animal Crossing when I was 9,” said another.