Just hours after California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a sweeping package of bills aimed at cracking down on robberies in the crime-ridden state, a group of grand thieves raided three 7-Elevens in Los Angeles, stealing food and drinks before making their getaway on bicycles, according to NBC.
The group of about 30 “children and teenagers” began rampaging at the 7-Eleven at 7040 West Sunset Boulevard just after 8 p.m., smashing windows and stealing merchandise.
They then moved to a store near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue about 15 minutes later, where an employee was allegedly assaulted, according to the outlet.
Governor Newsom signs bill to crack down on burglary and auto theft
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bipartisan bill to combat retail crime during a news conference with state and local officials at a Home Depot, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in San Jose, California. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
A third store on Santa Monica Boulevard was broken into at about 8:22 p.m., when the front window was smashed and more than $2,000 worth of items were stolen, including charger boxes, the media reported, citing the store manager.
A store manager told the outlet that the young people seen on security cameras on Friday appear to be the same group that attacked two 7-Eleven stores in the area last week. Footage from one of the robberies shows the young people ransacking the store with their faces uncovered and clearly visible.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Friday’s string of robberies came after Governor Newsom hailed the new bill as a turning point in the state’s efforts to address the lawlessness that has plagued California and other states in recent years. The incidents, many of which were recorded on video and posted online, have drawn national attention to a rise in retail thefts in California.
Ten bipartisan bills would provide tougher penalties for repeat offenders and those who operate professional resale schemes.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed 10 bipartisan bills that will increase penalties for repeat offenders and those who operate professional resale schemes. (AP Photo/Stephen Sene)
The law would allow prosecutors to add up the value of items stolen from different victims in different counties to help meet the threshold for grand theft charges, allowing for tougher penalties for burglary and large-scale resale crimes.
“This gets to the heart of the issue and it’s done in a thoughtful and smart way,” Governor Newsom said of the bill. “This is the real deal.”
The bill had bipartisan support in the California Legislature, but some progressive Democrats did not vote for it due to concerns that parts of the bill were too punitive.
The bill also aims to address cargo theft, close legal loopholes to make it easier to prosecute auto thefts whether the vehicle was locked or not, and requires marketplaces like eBay to start collecting bank account numbers and taxpayer identification numbers from high-volume sellers.
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The 7-Eleven logo is displayed at a store in Manhattan on July 16, 2024. (Beata Saurzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This comes as Democratic leaders are taking a tough stance on crime while urging voters to reject Proposition 36, a bill that would create felonies for repeat shoplifters and some drug-related crimes and increase penalties for those crimes.
Governor Newsom and other state Democrats tried unsuccessfully for months to get Proposition 36 off the ballot in the November election. Democrats worried the bill would unfairly criminalize low-income people and those with drug problems, rather than targeting the masterminds who hire large groups of people to steal goods and resell them online.
With Fox News’ Landon MionThe Associated Press contributed to this report.
