A woman from Oakville, Ontario has been arrested for stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games. The items were stolen between the last weeks of 2020 and the start of January 2021 as part of a large crime spree pulled off by the thief.
Rockstar Games is known for being one of the most secure and secretive developers in the world but if there's a will, there's a way. Reports indicate the woman went to the Rockstar Games office on Christmas Eve, likely when no one was at the studio and stole packages. The woman in question is believed to have also been responsible for stealing jackets, breaking into a car, as well as using a stolen iPhone to pay for things via Apple Pay.
The items were delivered to Rockstar Games but the woman was able to steal them before the company could properly obtain them. No specifics were given but the stolen goods were reportedly computer gear and are valued at around $66,000. “Items had been delivered to the premise however the accused stole them prior to possession of the items being taken by the company,” Const. Steve Elms told Global News.
Rockstar has not commented on the situation and it's unclear if this has thrown a wrench in any of the developer's plans, even if temporarily. It seems unlikely that this would delay anything significant like the long-rumored Grand Theft Auto VI, as Rockstar tends to operate with multiple studios on the same game. Still, if this woman hadn't been found, who knows what could've happened. Various data and assets for upcoming projects could've been leaked online or lost entirely.
The unnamed 30-year old woman will face 18 different charges for her various crimes. Given the scale of her crimes, it's a bit surprising she was able to steal over $60,000 worth of computer equipment with no help. No information has been released as to how the criminal actually pulled off this small heist but no one else has been suspected of helping her with the theft. It's unclear whether the packages were sitting unprotected outside of Rockstar's Toronto office or if she managed to get inside the building itself to secure any packages that were left sitting in some sort of loading bay. It's also unclear if Rockstar Games has had its equipment returned yet, as it's likely being held by the police as evidence in this crime.
Source: Global News