A crowd of nearly 50 people dressed in hoodies and masks stormed a Los Angeles Nordstrom department store over the weekend, stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise.
The group of thieves not only acted out the smash-and-grab at the store but also attacked security guards with bear spray, the Los Angeles Police Department shared.
The incident went down at the Topanga Mall at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday. According to the police, the thieves made off with luxury bags and clothing items after leaving behind a path of destruction.
Footage from the scene quickly made its way online, showing the havoc in the store as the thieves knocked over fixtures and mannequins while destroying display cases and leaving employees looking helpless.
After dashing through aisles and taking $60,000 to $100,000 worth of merchandise, the crowd fled the scene in several cars, including a BMW and a Lexus, the cops said.
Police shared that at least one guard was hit with bear spray and needed treatment from paramedics who responded to the mall.
“To criminals, it is just property taken,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. “To those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall, it is a loss of feeling safe.”
The statement went on to say that officers “will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution.”
The investigation at this time remains ongoing, and police shared that they already have leads to follow.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared a statement over the weekend, saying the robbery was “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable,” she said. “The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.”
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