LIVERMORE, Calif. (KRON) – In a brazen East Bay robbery attempt, two thieves tried to run off with an entire rack of clothing, but an employee managed to stop them with the help of other people. It happened at a store at the San Francisco Premium Outlets in Livermore.

It’s this type of situation that’s become a debate – should an employee intervene if they encounter a shoplifter or a robber? The employee in this case tells KRON4 she stepped in because it was the right thing to do, and her employer is supporting her.

The retail worker was caught on camera springing to action to stop two people from taking off with a rack of expensive clothes. In the struggle, the employee falls to the ground but gets right back up and chases after the thieves. 

And with some help from others, she eventually got everything back in the store. 

“Not on my watch. If I could do it again, I’d probably still do it,” said Alexandra Garcia, the store employee. 

Garcia works for Bank of Hype at the outlets in Livermore. It’s one of several stores between the Bay Area and Sacramento that specializes in high-end footwear and exclusive apparel.

The rack that the thieves tried to take was worth an estimated $15,000 in merchandise.

“I can’t speak for her instincts. Certainly grateful for them, but I think it just happened in the moment, and it’s just one of those things where you go with your gut and that’s what her gut was telling her to do,” said the store manager Julius Johnson. 

Johnson says employees are not required to intervene, but for workers at small businesses like this, robberies and burglaries are getting exhausting. The video above shows the two men accused of trying to steal from the store.  

A new state bill working its way through Sacramento aims to prevent retail employees from confronting would-be shoplifters and robbers. The proposal submitted by San Jose State Senator Dave Cortese followed the April killing of a loss prevention employee at a Home Depot in Pleasanton.

Cortese says this bill will keep people safe at work. and he wants all retail employees to be trained on how to react to active shoplifting. The California Retailers Association has not been on-board with Senate Bill 5-53.

A statement to KRON4 reads in part:

“California Retailers put the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at the forefront.  Unfortunately for the past few years, we have seen a rise of criminal activity in our stores that has put the safety and well-being of our employees and customers at risk.”

Bank of Hype management plans to increase security at all of their stores, as well as introduce new safety training. They believe their employees and customers should feel safe.

But Garcia wants would-be robbers to know this is her and her co-workers’ livelihood.

“Don’t mess with us,” she said. 

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Bank of Hype says they’re in the process of working with authorities in this case. They’re also offering a $5,000 reward for information on who the suspects are.