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A group of around 20 individuals carried out three smash-and-grab robberies within 20 minutes at Hollywood 7-Elevens on Friday night, coincidentally the same day that California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation aimed at curbing such crimes, according to KNBC-TV.
The suspects, who fled the scenes on bicycles, targeted stores located within a two-mile radius of each other. The first incident occurred just after 8 p.m. at a store on 7040 West Sunset Blvd, where the robbers left behind a broken window. The second robbery took place at 8:16 p.m. near Hollywood and Highland, where the perpetrators also assaulted an employee. The final robbery happened at 8:22 p.m. at a 7-Eleven on 5700 Santa Monica Boulevard.
The string of robberies coincided with Governor Newsom’s signing of a bipartisan package of 10 bills aimed at cracking down on smash-and-grab thefts and property crimes, including measures to target repeat offenders and increase penalties for those involved in organized retail theft.
KNBC also shared surveillance footage of a similar smash-and-grab involving a mob of teenagers at another 7-Eleven in the area the previous week. Additionally, a video from earlier this month showed about 30 teenagers on bicycles brutally beating and robbing a man in downtown Los Angeles, resulting in the victim suffering a broken leg and severe cuts requiring surgery.
Public reactions to the incident were strong, with over 150 comments on the KNBC YouTube video report expressing frustration and disbelief:
- One commenter sarcastically remarked, “Parent is like, ‘Bring me home some chips & cigarettes sweetie. Have fun.'”
- Another questioned, “How sad is it that an entire state has been taken over by teenagers?!”
- One commenter stated, “Stop calling them people. People don’t act this way. Clearly, this is some other species.”
- Another quipped, “Only bookstores are safe in California.”
