Los Angeles was hit with two “flash mobs” recently, and it’s not the kind with music and dancing.
“Flash mob” style robberies (when a large group of criminals storm a concentrated shopping area to overwhelm employees, witnesses, and authorities) affected two California malls in the past week. The thieves got away with almost half a million dollars in merchandise combined.
The first occurred last Tuesday at Yves Saint Laurent in The Americana at Brand in Glendale, with over 30 suspected thieves running into the store just before 5 p.m. and stealing an estimated $300,000 worth of merchandise before fleeing the scene on foot and in a series of vehicles.
One witness caught the incident on film and posted it to TikTok. It has garnered just shy of 1 million views.
@tinadabbles Robbery at Americana… #robbery #americana #smashandgrab #saintlaurent ♬ original sound – Tinadabbles
“This type of criminal activity will not be tolerated in Glendale,” Glendale Police Chief Manny Cid said in a statement. “The Glendale Police Department will pursue all leads and utilize every available resource to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice. Expect an elevated police presence in and around the downtown Glendale corridor.”
The mall in Glendale is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone with knowledge of the crime or the criminals.
A second incident occurred not too far away in Woodland Hills on Saturday, where a group of up to 50 people attacked a Nordstrom store inside the Westfield Topanga Mall and stole an estimated $100,000 worth of luxury merchandise from the department store, including designer handbags and clothing.
Videos on social media show the aftermath of the chaos, with broken glass and racks thrown to the floor. The robbers reportedly used bear spray to fend off security guards and those trying to stop the crime.
@tuohybeauty NORDSTROM Topanga just got hit! Same people that hit YSL in Glendale. #goviral #hit #mall #robbery #crazy#thisneedtostop ♬ original sound – Draco and Dahlia
“What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “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.”
Authorities have not yet commented on whether the incidents are related.
