In a brazen act of theft, a group of teenagers were caught on camera looting a Nike store in Los Angeles last Sunday.
This incident is the latest in a series of retail thefts that have been plaguing California under the governance of Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The video footage reveals over a dozen teenagers stuffing shoes into trash bags, pulling clothing off racks, and roaming the store in a manner reminiscent of wild wildebeests. They then fled the Nike Community Store on South Alameda Street, their faces concealed by masks, carrying the stolen merchandise.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, there are 17 suspects in total, comprised of 13 males and 4 females. The Daily Mail reports that all suspects are of African American descent and fall within the age range of 15 to 20 years.
The group made their escape around 6 pm, using five vehicles for their getaway - a gray KIA SUV, a white Honda, a KIA four-door, a black Audi, and a tan Infiniti four-door. The stolen merchandise is estimated to be worth $12,000.
Retail theft has become a rampant issue not only in California but across the entire West Coast. The Public Policy Institute of California reports that Los Angeles County has the highest commercial robbery rate in the state, witnessing a 15.7 percent increase since 2019.
In response to this growing problem, California law enforcement agencies have started to tackle organized retail theft on a statewide level. In August, Gov. Newsom announced a tripling of resources for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to combat this issue.
"The CHP is the proven leader in tackling organized retail theft and through this expanded partnership the agency will further assist the city in doing its job to keep Angelenos and their businesses safe," Newsom stated in a press release.
However, this crackdown on organized retail theft comes with a significant financial burden. The cost of these law enforcement efforts is expected to exceed $19 billion this year, as reported by the outlet.
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