Brazen thieves on bikes raided three 7-Eleven stores in California in the space of half an hour, smashing their way in and taking all they could carry.
About 20 robbers swarmed inside the shops in Hollywood, grabbing food, drinks, cigarettes and anything else on shelves.
Staff could only stand by helplessly as their convenience stores were ransacked in the blink of an eye before the invaders moved on to the next.
The raids lasted a matter of minutes each, starting at 8:02pm on Friday when the 7040 West Sunset Boulevard store was hit, police said.
Brazen thieves on bikes raided three 7-Eleven stores in the space of half an hour, smashing their way in and taking all they could carry
Workers clean up shattered glass in the aftermath of one of the three robberies
Another near Hollywood and Highland was raided just 14 minutes later, and a shop worker was assaulted in the chaos.
The third to be knocked over was 5700 Santa Monica Boulevard at 8:22 pm.
Police didn’t confirm that all three were related, but they were all close together with the same strategy of smashing windows and escaping on bikes.
Another 7-Eleven was raided by a similar-sized mob, also on bikes, on Olympic Boulevard in Pico-Robertson, Los Angeles, the previous Friday night.
Thieves also jumped over the counter to raid the good behind it, and pointlessly vandalize the shop by knocking over cash registers and screens.
Staff even had random items thrown at them as they tried to avoid the chaos and couldn’t intervene while so hopelessly outnumbered.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law 10 bipartisan bills allowing longer sentences for shoplifters, robbers, burglars, and car thieves.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed into law 10 bipartisan bills allowing longer sentences for shoplifters, robbers, burglars, and car thieves
One of the laws allowed police to add up the volume of property stolen in separate robberies by the same person, even in different counties, to reach the $950 threshold for grand theft.
Other laws make it easier to crack down on those reselling stolen goods.
‘While some try to take us back to ineffective and costly policies of the past, these new laws present a better way forward,’ Newsom said.
‘Making our communities safer and providing meaningful tools to help law enforcement arrest criminals and hold them accountable.’