In a swift series of events, a group of bikers in California targeted and looted three different 7-Eleven stores within a span of 20 minutes. This incident occurred shortly after the state’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed a significant legislation aimed at curbing retail thefts.
According to the LAPD, a group of around 20 thieves on bicycles targeted convenience stores in the Hollywood area on Friday night, with the stores being two miles apart. This information was reported by NBC Los Angeles.
A group of individuals boldly entered multiple stores and made off with various food and drink items. Their spree began at the 7-Eleven on 7040 West Sunset Boulevard shortly after 8 p.m.
There was damage to the store’s window.
According to the outlet, there was an alleged assault on an employee at a second store near Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave. around 8:16 p.m.
Another store on Santa Monica Boulevard was targeted at 8:22 p.m.
The recent smash-and-grab incident on Friday night has caused chaos in The Golden State.
A store manager informed the outlet that the teenagers captured on video surveillance cameras on Friday appeared to be the same group that targeted two other 7-Eleven stores in the vicinity last week.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, there has been a notable increase in shoplifting, commercial burglary, and robbery in California between 2019 and 2022.
Local and state politicians find themselves in a difficult situation due to a series of smash-and-grab robberies. This has caused concern after recent bipartisan legislation was signed by Newsom on Friday.
A new law has been enacted to increase the consequences for repeat shoplifters, retail thieves, and auto burglars.
The law also allows for the consolidation of stolen goods, which allows prosecutors to combine the value of multiple stolen items, even if they belong to different victims or are from different counties. This helps in meeting the criteria for felony grand theft.