Video captured dozens of masked and hooded suspects ransacking a Los Angeles Nordstrom department store on Saturday in a brazen smash-and-grab heist, stealing up to $100,000 in merchandise, according to reports.
Between 30-50 people stormed out of Nordstrom at the Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park around 4:00 p.m. after taking clothes, handbags, and other expensive accessories, Los Angeles Police Department told local media.
“To criminals, it is just property taken,” the police department said on social media. “To those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall it is a loss of feeling safe.”
Police reportedly said a security guard was sprayed with Mace, pepper spray, or bear spray, likely by a suspect within the mob of thieves who eventually escaped in several vehicles, including a BMW and Lexus.
“The LAPD will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution,” police added.
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass called on authorities to hold the suspected thieves accountable.
“What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,” Bass said in a news release. “Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable. 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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The weekend robbery scene marks the latest example of lawless behavior running rampant under Democrat control in California. In 2014, California voters approved Prop 47, which reduced the penalty for shoplifters who steal up to $950 worth of merchandise to a misdemeanor. Shoplifters could face up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000 if prosecuted.
Last weekend, law enforcement in nearby Glendale reported a “flash mob” of at least 30 suspects stole $300,000 of merchandise from an Yves Saint Laurent store at a high-end mall owned by Rick Caruso, who ran against Bass as a Republican in the 2022 L.A. mayoral race. He said the mall would reward up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects who committed this crime, Glendale police said.