Eighty looters ransacked a Nordstrom store in California 's Bay Area on Saturday night, injuring at least three employees in a raid ...
Eighty looters ransacked a Nordstrom store in California's Bay Area on Saturday night, injuring at least three employees in a raid that lasted less than a minute.
The large group, reportedly wearing ski masks and carrying crowbars, rushed the Walnut Creek store, stole an undetermined amount of merchandise and fled in their vehicles.
During the theft, two Nordstrom workers were punched and kicked, while another was sprayed with pepper spray. All three individuals were treated for their injuries on scene and have since been released.
Walnut Creek police have arrested three people in connection to the incident and are facing various charges including robbery, conspiracy, burglary, possession of stolen property and a weapons charge.
Eighty looters ransacked a Nordstrom store in California's Bay Area on Saturday night, injuring at least three employees in a raid that lasted less than a minute
The large group, reportedly wearing ski masks and carrying crowbars, rushed the Walnut Creek store, stole an undetermined amount of merchandise and fled in their vehicles
Dozens of officers responded to the scene around 9pm after Walnut Creek police received reports that approximately 80 people had run into the Nordstrom store and began looting and smashing shelves.
NBC Bay Area reporter Jodi Hernandez, who witnessed the raid, shared several videos of the incident on Twitter.
She said approximately 25 cars were blocking the street as the gang of thieves stormed the store, some brandishing weapons.
Video shows the looters running down the street with bags and boxes holding presumed stolen goods before entering their getaway vehicles.
'There was a mob of people,' Brett Barrett, who works at a nearby P.F. Chang's restaurant, told CBS San Francisco. 'The police were flying in. It was like a scene out of a movie. It was insane.'
Approximately 25 cars were blocking the street as the gang of thieves stormed the store
An officer is shown pointing their weapon at what appears to be a car of suspected looters
Although most of the raiders managed to flee, police managed to arrest at least two of the suspected looters. The suspects are facing various charges including robbery, conspiracy, burglary, possession of stolen property and a weapons charge
He continued: 'I had to start locking the front door. Locking the back door. You never know, they could come right in here. It was crazy…All the guests inside were getting concerned. It was a scary scene for a moment.'
Although most of the raiders managed to flee, police managed to arrest at least two of the suspected looters. Video even shows an officer pointing their gun at one of the drivers.
Walnut Creek Lt. Ryan Hibbs told said his officers stopped one vehicle, recovered stolen property and arrested the man and woman occupying the automobile.
The man was charged with robbery, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of burglary tools.
The woman was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Police also arrested a man who fled on foot. He was charged with robbery, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of burglary tools.
Video shows officers conducting the arrest of a suspected looter
Witnesses have described the incident as being 'insane' and like something from out of a film
Police said the incident at the Walnut Creek Nordstrom (pictured) is not connected to the string of riots that took place over the weekend in wake of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict
Walnut Creek told NBC the incident did not appear to be connected to the series of nationwide protests taking place in response to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who was on trial after he killed two people and injured another in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The protests have erupted in several major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland.
Although most have appeared to be mainly peaceful demonstrations with marching and chanting, law enforcement in Portland declared a riot Friday night as about 200 protesters were breaking windows, throwing objects at police and talking about burning down a local government building.
Saturday's looting comes after the Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco's Union Square was targeted and ransacked by a group of more than a dozen thieves.
Police responded to the store shortly after 8pm Friday where they 'observed several suspects involved in criminal acts.'
Witnesses recorded video of masked thieves running through the streets with their hands full of clothing items and bags.
Law enforcement officers are seen chasing after a thief to their parked getaway car and bashing in the windows with batons, dragging the culprit out of the car and restraining them on the sidewalk.
Officers were seen chasing a thief to their parked getaway car and bashing in the windows with batons, dragging the culprit out of the car and restraining them on the sidewalk
Footage shows the decimated Louis Vuitton storefront with shattered glass all over the sidewalk and totally empty shelves (left) as masked thieves running through the streets with their hands full of clothing items and bags (right)
The shattered glass at a San Francisco Louis Vuitton store was ransacked by more than a dozen thieves, eyewitnesses said
Footage also showed the decimated storefront with shattered glass all over the sidewalk and totally empty shelves.
Police confirmed they had arrested multiple suspects and that the Louis Vuitton store may have not been the only one targeted.
Both brazen robberies come amid a wave of thefts in the Bay Area.
As of October 31, San Francisco police have received reports of 810 burglaries or attempted burglaries this year in the jurisdiction of the Mission District Police station, marking a 13 percent increase from the same time last year.
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