A Los Angeles Nordstrom store was ransacked by a mob of more than 30 people on Saturday, with the suspects getting away with nearly $100,000 worth of handbags and clothes.
The Los Angeles Police Department said a mob of “criminals” stole items from the store at about 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Video captured from inside the store shows a group of 30 to 50 people wearing sweatshirts with hoods over their heads.
The suspects are seen inside the department store as they rush to the front entrance with bags in hand, scooping up whatever merchandise they can while tripping on racks to which some items were still attached.
FOX 11 in Los Angeles reported that police said the mall was not evacuated, though one man who was sprayed with bear repellant was treated by paramedics.
This was the second “flash mob” to take place in Los Angeles County within the past week.
On Aug. 8, a mob of thieves was seen on video as they fled an Yves Saint Laurent store in Glendale, California, in broad daylight, getting away with armloads of merchandise worth an estimated $300,000.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement about the Nordstrom flash mob on Saturday.
“What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,” she said. “Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable.”
“The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to not only find those responsible for this incident, but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future,” Bass added.
California, like many states, has seen brazen smash-and-grab robberies in recent years, a trend that saw an increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.
