Southern California Gas Station Ransacked by Large Mob, Zero Arrested

A gas station in Southern California was looted and vandalized by a large group of young people April 16 after a street takeover, leaving responding officers outnumbered with zero arrests.

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies returned to patrolling the area the next day.

Videos shared by the Telegram channel group @police_frequency showed hundreds of looters ransacking a mini-mart at the Arco gas station on Alondra Boulevard in Compton early Sunday morning, stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise and causing damages while the store’s clerk reportedly hid in the bathroom.

One video shows one man, masked, breaking the glass on the store’s door and breaking in before a large group poured in behind him. Some individuals were masked.

Some looters with smiles on their faces can be seen stealing from the store’s fridges, items from behind the clerk’s register—including condoms and cigarettes—as well as food and snacks. Another video shows shelves completely knocked over with merchandise scattered on the ground as people toppled over each other leaving and entering the store.

The sheriff’s department will be conducting an investigation into the looting, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

About a block away from the store, LASD deputies told news outlets there were shots fired around the same time but no injuries were reported. Deputies also received calls of illegal street racing earlier in the night in the area, with two large street takeovers of about 500 people taking place near the looted store.

Reports of vandalism were also reported at a laundromat in the city around the same time after a separate street takeover nearby.

It’s unclear whether the looters were Compton residents, but City Councilman Jonathan Bowers told a local news station they were likely outsiders.

“I am totally disgusted,” Bowers told ABC 7. “I’m just upside down behind this. These kids coming in our city and just destroying it like this. In my opinion, the city has not done enough to quell this issue. There are other alternatives and ways to deal with this and I feel like we put it on the back burner, and we’re dragging our feet as this thing is getting worse.”

People with any information about the looting are urged to contact the sheriff’s department.

LASD Compton Station did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.