Los Angeles: ‘Flash Mob’ Of Thieves Ransack Nordstrom, Use Bear Spray On Security Guards
Over $100k in merchandize stolen: “This is not sustainable. The state of California is going to collapse. It is only a matter of time.”
In a new (to me) and shocking twist to the seemingly daily tales of “shoplifters” gathering en masse at stores in blue cities and states and taking off with carts full (or arms full) of merchandise, the latest such “flash mob” of thugs and thieves reportedly assaulted security guards with bear spray at a Los Angeles Nordstrom’s. Apparently, bear spray has been used in these crimes previously.
The band of organized criminals rushed the store on Saturday and gathered up anything that wasn’t nailed down before taking off. The video has gone viral.
Another shoplifting bonanza at a Nordstrom outside of Los Angeles.
This is not sustainable. The state of California is going to collapse. It is only a matter of time. pic.twitter.com/JCb6DU8Lb7
— Ben Kew 🏌️♂️ (@ben_kew) August 13, 2023
According to the LAPD, at least one of these criminals assaulted two Nordstrom security guards with bear spray.
Dozens of thieves looted a Nordstrom store in California on Saturday when a mob descended on the store inside the Westfield Topanga mall in the Canoga Park area of Los Angeles at around 4 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in posts on X, formerly Twitter.
. . . . The thieves used bear spray on two security guards who confronted them, the LAPD told NBC Los Angeles.
They made off with up to $100,000 worth of goods, the LAPD said.
To those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall it is a loss of feeling safe. The LAPD will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution.
Watch ⬇️https://t.co/CTLou25c5G
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) August 13, 2023
This is not stealing a loaf of bread to feed your children; this is organized crime. With armed robbery and some degree of assault as added incarceration bonuses. Well, it would if it weren’t Los Angeles in Gruesome Newsom’s Californian dystopia where criminals run rampant, while law-abiding citizens live in constant fear.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass mumbled some appropriately ‘outraged’ words that have no meaning at all since the only words any law-abiding citizen wants to hear is that these criminals will be rounded up and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Newsweek continues:
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement about the incident on Saturday evening, saying police would work to find the people responsible and prevent similar incidents in the future.
“What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,” Bass 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 work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.”
Maybe, though, since this is California, this weak as water statement of nothingness is just what they want to hear, just what they voted for and expect. Holding criminals “accountable” in California seems to mean going through the motions when a particular crime goes viral . . . until the storm passes and even fake posturing is no longer needed.
The Times of San Diego has more:
The heist was similar to what Glendale police described as a “flash mob” that struck the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand mall in Glendale at about 4:50 p.m. Tuesday.
“The suspects stole clothing and other merchandise before fleeing on foot and leaving the location in numerous vehicles,” Glendale Police Department Sgt. Victor Jackson said. “While still under investigation, the estimated loss is approximately $300,000.”
“These ‘flash mob’ burglaries involve a large, coordinated group of individuals simultaneously rushing into the store, overwhelming staff and taking it over,” Jackson added. “The suspects grab as much merchandise as possible before fleeing in multiple vehicles.”
If only there were something that could be done about this. You know like arrest every single one, prosecute to the full extent of the law, and incarcerate them all for their crimes. Not only would they not be free to continue their organized crime sprees but others would think twice before following their example.
Needless to say, people had thoughts.
💯
— Ben Kew 🏌️♂️ (@ben_kew) August 13, 2023
They lost me as a customer when they sent me BLM propaganda. Look where it got them. Nordstrom does not create a safe place for paying customers. This shows there is no protection for the customers.
— Lisa (@lisasaintmonica) August 13, 2023
Nordstrom CFO (Catherine Smith) picks up the phone this next week.
CFO: Hello?
Nordstrom’s Insurance Company: Hello Catherine, This is Jack from Fancy Store Insurance Company. We saw the latest video on Twitter/X showing absolute chaos and mass shoplifting in your LA store. I… https://t.co/9Owl4ILiJX
— Markets, News , Macro ✝️🇺🇸 (@markets1100) August 13, 2023
Here’s the text of the above tweet:
Nordstrom CFO (Catherine Smith) picks up the phone this next week.
CFO: Hello?
Nordstrom’s Insurance Company: Hello Catherine, This is Jack from Fancy Store Insurance Company. We saw the latest video on Twitter/X showing absolute chaos and mass shoplifting in your LA store. I am sure you know what I am going to say next.
CFO: How many more days before you cancel our California insurance coverage?
Insurance Company: We already canceled it. You can speak with our legal department if you have any questions or concerns. (Hangs up)
CFO: Hello?…
The CVS Manager down the street told me last week that they do not try to stop most shoplifters.
"The police are not going to do anything. The prosecutors will not prosecute, so we do not bother."
I asked if the CVS insurance company has increased premiums. She said they… pic.twitter.com/3O28ZUdNKt
— Markets, News , Macro ✝️🇺🇸 (@markets1100) August 13, 2023
it’s California so I’m sure they sent their best psychologist to shut it down 😂
— Anna Kathryn Smith (@theannakat) August 13, 2023
Where's Gavin Newsom been?
— Diogenes Laertius (@Agent69366) August 13, 2023
Another successful Dem Voter Registration Drive…
— Michael Green (@MichaelGreen77) August 13, 2023
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Comments
A Dumb-o-crat apparatchik talking tough about arresting and punishing criminal sociopaths possesses zero credibility. Coddling and enabling criminals — especially those “of color” — while ignoring their violent predations, have been a central part of the Dumb-o-crat ethos for decades.
California won’t collapse immediately–it will further Balkanize. But eventually this will not be sustainable.
What can be done?
How about armed security prepared and cleared to shoot ?
Bear spray met with hollow point. Wait. Isn’t hollow point illegal in California ?
Police are allowed JHP rounds. IANAL, but I think armed security is, too.
But it’s a terrible idea. Once the armed security officers are incapacitated with bear spray, the local wealth distribution officers will have acquired some nice new guns, without “universal background checks” or registration.
And the Cali Legislature will place the blame squarely where it belongs: with the NRA, of course!
What these criminals need is a “Now youse can’t leave” moment …
We’ve proven being Mr. Nice Guy … leniency in sentencing … welfare and food stamps … affirmative action … and other placating actions have little to no effect and nor are they appreciated.
I’m done with all that.
I don’t want ’em arrested … I don’t want ’em in jail … I want ’em a bloody pulp on the floor.
This is organized crime. Connect everyone by the cell phone message and camera footage and RICO them all for the full $100,000. Collect every one of their previous $950 individual crimes and add them to the total.
They could do that, if they wanted. Technology is there but the will is more with letting them all go. Foot Soldiers of the Progressive Dems are not to be molested
As pointed out, not very hard. Figure out every cell phone that was in the area. Track each one down. Identify a single person, and look at their network. Who do they communicate with?
The fact that we do not ever read about this incidents getting rolled up and prosecuted means either the police or the DA’s office (or both) chose not to. Too many people that have to coordinate to not leave a thread.
And whose to blame? Don’t blame Newsom, don’t blame Bass, and don’t blame Gascon. Blame the voters who voted those incompetent Leftists into office. Those voters might be masochists or malevolent or profoundly stupid – take your pick. The downside of this is an absolute break down of civil society is that some of these same voters will ultimately vote with their feet, but not their heads, to infect a place where civil society has not broken down.
You make it sound like every voter voted for candidates that allows this to happen and then does nothing about it. That is not the case … plenty of voters didn’t vote for these fools. But … the fact still is … you have only two choices … vote for who’s on the ballot or don’t vote at all. And … this is CA … where pretty much all candidates regardless of party are incompetent, liars, not dependable, unqualified for office … and not even suitable to hold the office of “dog catcher”.
I very carefully said, “Blame the voters who voted those incompetent Leftists into office.” I am fully aware that there are voters who didn’t vote for those incompetent Leftists, unfortunately there are not enough of them.
And odds are against it that there ever will be.
Jack, I can assure you that the vast majority of California’s elections are not legitimate.
That may be true in close elections, but if enough voters voted for the better candidate, such people would be elected.
“This is not sustainable. The state of California is going to collapse. It is only a matter of time.”
That’s the plan. All across the country. And when that state, or any state, defaults on its debt – cue the leftist bleating for “Help us federal gub’mint, you’re our only hope. We need a bailout, marshal law, and federalizing of our state responsibilities during this ‘crisis'”
There goes state sovereignty. That’s the plan.
Soros is hoisting champagne flutes tonight.
President Newsom. Has a ring to it. Too bad it’s a nation’s death knell.
I live in CA … trust me … that wouldn’t even be the half of it.
Defund the police!
Vote Dem 2024!!
This will end when streets are littered with the carcasses of would-be thieves and rioters. That is what should have happened in 2020. And those who have been aiding and abetting them need the same treatment.
Agree … it’s way past the time where lenient ministrations are of any benefit.
Someone call the Chicago Mayor’s office!
A group of young, organized criminals is being called a “mob”! He needs to call out those reporters to remind them that the M-word is no longer acceptable!
Plus, one person called them “shoplifters”. Isn’t it possible that these citizens had paid for the merchandise over the internet and were just picking up their items?
No.
Courtesy of: Gavin Newsom.
There seems to be some sort of underlying common theme amongst these ‘flash mobs’… I cannot quite put my finger on it as I am inhibited by crimethink proscriptions, but it’s at the tip of my tongue.
Here’s how this will finally play out. Take your common drug store, CVS for example. Presently, about 4/5 of CVS inventory sits on the display room floor so that shoppers can pick up items and put them in their cart. Perhaps 1/5 of inventory is in the back area where the trucks unload their pallets and the clerks and stockboys work to prepare the items for display and sale.
This will reverse. The showroom floor will occupy 1/5 of the store property, with 4/5 in the back under security observation. As a shopper, you will go in and peruse the merchandise, but there will be only one of any given item on the shelves, and those shelves will be protected behind security glass.
If you choose to purchase an item, you will pull a ticket off of the security glass that denotes the particular item you desire.
Then you will go to the checker with, say, thirty tickets that represent all of the items you wish to purchase.
The clerk will examine your pile of tickets and ring up all of the items and you will pay for them. Only then will the staff roam through the secure area and gather the items you have selected, and they will deliver them to your vehicle as you pull around to the back of the store.
Our immediate thanks for this imminent state of affairs can go to those people that I am not allowed to properly identify, as to do so would be punishable as a hate crime. Our gratitude should be properly reserved for the legislators in our state congressional houses that have ‘decriminalized’ shoplifting to the tune of $950 while screaming ‘defund the police’ at the top of their lungs.
It’s either the above scenario, or Amazon all the way, baby. In ten or fewer years, there will be no more retail outlets, which means a lot fewer tax dollars for municipal and state coffers. No more drug stores, no more strip malls, and if the grocery stores manage to survive, there will be young, uniformed men strapping semi-auto rifles at the doors to protect the integrity of the inventory, a-la Mexico.
To reiterate, the blame for this pathetic state of affairs is properly laid at our state congressional houses, with a good dose going to the Soros-elected DAs who refuse to prosecute legitimate crimes.
Erronius
It will either be that, or, one vast vending machine setup. In a sense, CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, and various other stores will become a sundries version of Horn & Hardart.
We have essentially that type of service since the COVID panic was in force – they call it “curbside pickup”.
I know of an Ace Hardware in Berkeley that has been that way for decades for almost all purchases. You have to go up to the counter, ask for what you want and the clerk goes into the back, grabs your items and then rings you up. You have to do this for even simple things like nuts and bolts.
I forget what incident it was, but a victim used bear spray against a criminal, and the leftists were all up in arms about the bear spray, calling it cruel and a deadly weapon.
So? LET the leftist be up in arms. Same for the race hustlers screaming racism over everything. In both cases, put these people in their places.
Try that in a small town, gunfire and hilarity ensues…
Every cloud has a silver lining. This could be a great inventory management and price discovery opportunity for Nordstroms. The items not stolen, or stolen to a lesser degree, should be analyzed with an eye toward price and/or order reduction.
assaulted security guards with bear spray
If you remember the discussion with Andrew Branca here, over the pepper spray incident with a protest, using pepper spray offensively is assault with a deadly weapon since it incapacitates and makes you open to being beaten to death. Therefore self-defense with a lethal means is appropriate. That needs to happen.
Except, of course, this is California. Good luck with law or sense, there.
Nothing short of introducing the Justice Department from Judge Dredd is going to stop this.
After seeing the video, it looked “mostly peaceful” to me. CA needs the police available to check out reports of illegal watering or polluting lawnmowers — not to look into minor crimes.
I’ve noticed that the “mainstream” news outlets give stories like this very little coverage. When the collapse comes a lot of people will be shocked because they won’t see it coming.
Not to worry. The MSM just won’t cover the collapse.
It was months before my mother learned that the Soviet Union had fallen.
AOC once said they people only did this to feed their families. Does anyone have e recipe for a Coach bag?
Use plenty of tenderizer.
I think the Siege of Leningrad.
Try that in a small town.
I always believed the correct response to looters was live fire.
What’s gone wrong?
We do it in Louisiana. Also, if your ass gets caught looting, you end up going to Angola for an extended period of time.
The looters, rioters, rapists, thugs, and criminals have their own political party now. And it’s in power.
Let it collapse
The sooner the better
I guess they didn’t respect the BLM in the window
I guess they did? They didn’t set the place on fire.