CALIFORNIA CHAOS: 50 Masked Teens Ransack L.A. 7-Eleven Store, Cause Thousands of Dollars in Damage (VIDEO)

Up to 50 teenagers ransacked a store in Los Angeles on Friday where shoplifting has effectively become decriminalized.

Security footage uploaded online showed the teens jumping over the counter and grabbing fistfuls of items from the shelves. Store staff were later seen engaging in a large clean-up operation.

KLCA reports:

A large group of juveniles used “bodily force” to ransack a 7-Eleven store in Los Angeles Friday night, authorities said.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA that about 50 teens descended upon the 7-Eleven at the corner of Olympic and La Cienega boulevards in Pico-Robertson at 7:50 p.m.

The teens, many of whom were wearing masks, forcibly stole property from the store, the spokesperson said.

…

Video posted to the Citizen App shows police officers responding to the store, where displays had been knocked over and products scattered across the floor, including hot food items, sunglasses, automotive products and even an open gallon of milk.

Surveillance footage obtained by KTLA shows multiple teens hopping over the front counter and grabbing a fistful of products.

NEW: Video shows dozens of young people ransack a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles Friday night. The employees stand there helplessly as the vandals overtake the store, throwing items at them, causing thousands of dollars in damage. #LosAngeles #California pic.twitter.com/6gVkLDGQDK

— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) August 10, 2024

The vandals are said to have caused thousands of dollars in damage as well as significant losses to the store.

Nobody was injured in the incident and as of Saturday no arrests had been made.

Such incidents are commonplace in California, where criminal gangs and professional shoplifters are effectively allowed to operate without risk of criminal prosecution.

Under current California law, those suspected of stealing less than $950 worth of goods are only liable for a misdmeanor. In most cases, local law enforcement will therefore not even bother to investigate.