Los Angeles Councilman Tim McOsker is calling for the city to provide more police officers and other safety resources after another 7-Eleven was ransacked by a large group of thieves on Saturday who got away.
The latest in a series of similar crimes occurred at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, when police received several calls of a possible street takeover and a disturbance inside a 7-Eleven in the area of Gaffey and First streets, a watch commander at the LAPD's Harbor station told City News Service.
When officers arrived at the scene they reported that the convenience store had been ransacked and several items had been stolen. The suspects had already fled the scene prior to officers' arrival, according to the watch commander.
Police had no suspect information.
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Spokeswoman Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNS that paramedics were dispatched at 1:38 a.m. to the 700 block of West First Street regarding a shooting, but were canceled by the LAPD.
About 30-50 people trashed the store, knocking over shelves and stole up to $10,000-$20,000 worth of food items, about 1,000 packs of $15,000 worth of cigarettes, $500 in cash, $20,000 worth of Lottery tickets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
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“Last night's incident at 1st and Gaffey, where a large group ransacked a 7-Eleven, is continuation of a pattern we're seeing across Los Angeles,'' said McOsker, whose 15th District includes San Pedro. “This isn't just about property damage or items stolen -- it is also about a victim, an employee, fearing for their safety, and a neighborhood that is both in fear and now without a convenience store on the corner,'' he added.
“It's deeply disturbing to me that incidents like these are becoming more common. We need more resources in our 911 operations and increased staffing in the LAPD. We could have stopped this at the street takeover before it escalated. That's why we need to expedite hiring in the LAPD. Our officers must be able to respond quickly to prevent these incidents from happening,”
McOsker continued. “If you have any information on last night's event, you can submit a tip anonymously at 800-222-TIPS or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.”
It was not immediately clear if any of the thieves who robbed the San Pedro store were also involved with the previous 7-Eleven robberies, which occurred in the Hollywood area. On Aug. 16, three robberies occurred within minutes of each other at Hollywood-area 7-Elevens. They involved a large number of youths who stole merchandise, vandalized the stores and got away on bicycles.
The previous Friday, on Aug. 9, around 50 young people vandalized a 7- Eleven in the 8500 block of Olympic Boulevard, near La Cienega Boulevard, just outside Beverly Hills and stole merchandise, including cigarettes, before riding away on bicycles.
No arrests have been reported in any of the robberies.
The Los Angeles Police Department has urged anyone with information regarding any of the robberies to call them at 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made to LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
