Dozens of thieves raided high-end shopping malls in major cities in California, including Los Angeles ( LA ). According to local media such as CNN and NBC
on the 13th (local time), the Nordstrom store, a high-end department store in the Westfield Topanga shopping mall in West Los Angeles , was raided by thieves the day before. A group of 30 to 50 people, wearing black hoodies and covering their faces, rushed in and ran away with expensive products displayed in the store in bags. The damage is said to be worth up to 100,000 dollars (about 130 million won). According to LAPD , some of them sprayed bear spray at guards. Store employees were more concerned with protecting customers from harm than preventing theft. As the thieves left the store, they spilled stolen items on the floor, broke windows, and knocked over mannequins. They fled in a BMW car. Los Angeles police are chasing the suspects based on CCTV footage.
On the afternoon of the 8th, about 30 robbers raided a luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent store in a shopping center in Glendale, California, and stole goods worth 300,000 dollars (approximately 399 million won) and fled. It is not yet known if they are the same people as the suspects in the Nordstrom department store case.
In 2014, California passed a law that treats theft of less than $950 (about 1.2 million won) as a misdemeanor and does not prosecute. It is classified as a so-called ‘livelihood crime’. If charged with petty theft, they could face up to six months토토사이트in state prison, but police often don’t press charges.
The California Senate then passed a bill in May that would ban store employees from confronting thieves with firearms.
However, because of this, a series of theft cases followed, and the Wall Street Journal ( WSJ ) reported in 2021 that “San Francisco has become a shoplifter’s paradise.”
In particular, recently, as the targets of crimes by robbers are gradually expanding and their methods are becoming more ferocious, there is a growing voice calling for a strong response. Los Angeles
Mayor Bass said, “This is absolutely unacceptable,” and said, “The LA Police will not only pursue the culprit in this case, but will also work to prevent similar incidents from happening again targeting retail stores.”