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“Today at around 4 p.m., a mob of criminals stole items from the Topanga Mall with an estimated loss of $60,000 to $100,000,” the Los Angeles Police Department said on social media. “Topanga Division officers were on the scene quickly and have several investigative leads. To criminals, it is just property taken.”
Multiple individuals wearing black from head to toe could be seen ransacking a store at the mall, carrying duffel bags, purses and other items past the broken glass on the floor, in a video posted by the police department.
The crime has left the community with, “a loss of feeling safe,” police said.
“The LAPD will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution,” the department said.
In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass called the incident “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable,” Bass said. “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.”
A similar scene unfolded Tuesday in nearby Glendale, where police said thieves stole $300,000 worth of property in a “bold, flash mob burglary” at an Yves Saint Laurent store.
“These ‘flash mob’ burglaries involve a large, coordinated group of individuals simultaneously rushing into the store, overwhelming staff, and taking it over. The suspects grab as much merchandise as possible before fleeing in multiple vehicles,” the Glendale Police Department said in a statement.
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