Authorities are on the lookout for 16 suspects involved in the looting of an AutoZone in East Los Angeles, which occurred within a 24-hour span. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported that these individuals allegedly broke into a store on South Atlantic Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. on August 9, inflicting considerable damage.
Investigators suspect that some of these suspects may have also been connected to the initial robbery that took place just the day before. The first incident began around 2:22 a.m. on August 8, when one individual shattered the glass door at the store’s entrance, followed by a group of ten people rushing inside.
This was described by officials as an “organized mob-like robbery,” highlighting the coordinated nature of the attack.
Detectives first sought public assistance to identify 11 suspects linked to the original break-in before expanding their search to include 16 more individuals.
Interestingly, this crime spree seems to have coincided with street occupations in the area near Olympic Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard. During the initial takeover, bystanders reportedly vandalized the AutoZone.
Subsequent disturbances followed on the night after, where over 100 vehicles gathered at an intersection close to the store. In a twist, some individuals from this crowd broke away and targeted the already boarded-up AutoZone, which had been damaged just the night prior.
Footage has surfaced showing individuals, many with concealed faces, forcing their way into rundown stores and stealing items.
The aftermath revealed shattered glass littering the front of the store, while car batteries, wiper fluid, and auto accessories were scattered across the floor. Preliminary estimates suggest that around $50,000 worth of merchandise and three cash registers were stolen.
During the same weekend, reports indicated break-ins at AutoZone locations in Watts, Downey, and Long Beach, as street disturbances erupted throughout Los Angeles. In total, these events contributed to a chaotic weekend of unrest in East Los Angeles, which included two separate street occupations, fires, and additional looting incidents.
