Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the arrest of a suspect in the March 7 incident. 

A series of reported thefts from Barnes & Noble in Manhattan Beach has us wondering - Are books the new thing to steal? 

Those who regularly read the Weekly Crime Summary and Monthly Crime Report from Manhattan Beach Police might have noticed these unusual data points: 

March 2: Two suspects "selected several books before leaving without paying." When confronted by Barnes & Noble employees, "the employees were pushed."

March 7: A suspect shattered in the glass door at Barnes & Noble before business hours, went inside, and came out with $5,000 in merchandise, including $400 worth of Legos. 

March 17, 4:00 p.m.: Suspects selected several books and pens and left Barnes & Noble without paying. Estimated total value of merchandise stolen: $300. 

March 17, 7:00 p.m. - A suspect selected books and then fled Barnes & Noble, leaving with about $50 in books.

MBNews reached out to the Manhattan Beach Police Department to learn more and Sgt. Jessica Borello told us that these thefts are sadly all too common. 

"This is a consistent occurrence at Barnes and Noble, unfortunately," she said. "Like Bevmo, this business is consistently being targeted. This is not a new trend, and detectives are investigating the cases. We just made an arrest of one of the perpetrators and conducted a search warrant at his house.  We are working all possible leads on these types of cases."

March 27 update: MBPD announced that the suspect in the March 7 incident was not only identified but linked to additional commercial burglaries spanning Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Diego County, all following a similar pattern. MBPD released the following statement:

The location of the Barnes & Noble, at the corner of Rosecrans and Aviation, seems to allow for a "quick" exit on one of two main thoroughfares. Other large businesses at major intersections, such as Macy's and Target, are often frequent targets for theft in Manhattan Beach.