AUSTIN (KXAN) – A group of people are accused of stealing luxury watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars during the Formula One weekend at Circuit of the Americas, according to Travis County court documents.
Austin police described the robberies as organized crime that demonstrated clear planning and coordination.
“The group targeted wealthy individuals who wore luxury watches,” court documents said. “These specific watches sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
The woman was pretending to fall and removing the watches when the victim extended her hand to help her stand, court documents said. APD said two Richard Mille watches were stolen in this manner.
Police said the woman worked with a group of men who assaulted the victims while removing the watches.
According to court documents, police were able to arrest one of the suspects, a 39-year-old woman, after one of the victims witnessed the same thing happen to another person the next day at COTA.
While executing the search warrant, police found that the woman involved in the crimes and a group of others were staying at a short-term rental in Lago Vista during the race weekend.