Fourteen suspects were finally nabbed by Los Angeles police in connection to 11 recent “smash-and-grab” robberies causing upward of $340,000 in stolen merchandise and damages. However, due to the area’s “zero bail” policy, all 14 suspects have been released.
According to the Daily Mail, Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti had a change of tune over the “zero bail” policy, tying the approach entirely to COVID and calling for its end.
“We need the help of our criminal justice system, of our judges, of our jailers,” Garcetti said during the presser, standing alongside Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore.
“We have opened up a lot of the city because we’re in a better place with COVID,” the Democrat added. “We should be able to also open up our jails, and we should be able to have judges that put people behind those bars.”
According to the report, a statewide policy of imposing $0 bail for misdemeanors and lower-level felonies was put to an end in Democrat-run California last year, “but it was kept in place within the LA County Superior Court system.”
“You could be arrested for a crime such as burglary, a serious felony… and that’s zero bail, meaning that we book and process and identify you, and then your arraignment day is three to four months from now,” said LAPD Chief Moore.
It’s been estimated that the stores hit in the latest 11 “smash-and-grab” robberies total some $338,000 in goods, with an additional $40,000 in property damage. Numerous suspects still remain at large.
The robberies have been prevalent for months. In November, The Daily Wire reported, a security guard in San Francisco was murdered while protecting a news team covering a “flash mob” theft:
“[A] crew from KRON4 — a local San Francisco news channel — covered one such story, in which 12 thieves wearing masks and hoods raided a clothing store. As an assailant tried to steal KRON4’s camera equipment, Kevin Nishita — an armed guard hired to protect the crew — was shot in the abdomen. He passed away on Saturday morning after receiving treatment at Highland Hospital.
“The victim is Kevin Nishita. He leaves behind a wife, two children and three grandchildren,” explained KRON4. “Nishita worked as an armed guard for Star Protection Agency. Prior to working as a guard, he served as a police officer at the Oakland Housing Authority, Hayward Police, San Jose Police, and the Colma Police departments. A reward of $32,500 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.”
“It’s been an extremely violent week,” Oakland police said during a press conference following the tragedy. “We are asking if you were in the area, have a business or live nearby to please check your surveillance footage as you may have captured the crime before, during, or after it occurred.”
Related: Security Guard Murdered While Protecting News Team Covering Smash-And-Grab Robbery
Related: Security Executive Says Retailers Are Scrambling To Protect Stores From Smash-And-Grab Robberies