iPhone 5 Release Date: Apple Store BMW-Heist Captured on Camera Just Days Before [VIDEO]

During a live San Francisco Apple event held on Wednesday, Sept. 12, it was announced that the highly-anticipated iPhone 5 would finally be available for sale Sept. 21. Just the week before, on Sept. 6, amazingly clear security footage captured a BMW ramming into an Apple store in Temecula, CA, as a number of thieves jumped out in an attempt to steal iPhone devices. The alleged driver of the vehicle was arrested and is currently being held at a Riverside County jail on a $600,000 bond, which reportedly equals the estimated amount of damage done to the Apple Store.

Check out the stellar security footage here:

After alleged driver Equonne Romon Howard slammed his BMW into the electronics store's front glass window, a masked accomplice jumped out and began loading a bag with smartphones. While four individuals were supposedly involved in the theft, which took place in Temecula's Promenade Mall, the Press-Enterprise of Riverside claims only Howard was apprehended and currently being held in jail.

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The iPhone heist went haywire after the Apple store's security gates came booming down following the BMW's crash-entrance. The vehicle and its passengers were then ultimately trapped in the store. The alleged driver Howard then began slamming the car back against the gate in a frantically ridiculous attempt to escape the store.

Howard is currently on parole and now faces vandalism and theft charges in connection with the Apple store robbery. Howard was also charged with robbing a nearby 7-11 convenience store, where he had allegedly stolen materials to fix a flat tire on the BMW.

Was the heist worth the risk, especially considering the iPhones Howard and his cohorts stole will be worth considerably less come Sept. 21? Or was that the point, the thieves figured they'd have a better chance of getting away with it considering all the hype surrounding the iPhone 5? Either way, slamming a BMW into a high-security electronics store to swipe some smartphones doesn't seem like the "smartest" idea out there.

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