Thieves attacked stores all across the country around Thanksgiving and during the Black Friday weekend.
Robbers stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and the life of a California security guard was lost as he tried protecting a news crew that was reporting on the robberies, Fox News reported. (RELATED: ‘It Looks Like The Third World’: New York City Drug Stores Ravaged By Shoplifters)
While most of the looters got away, @walnutcreekpd did arrest a few following the flash mob robbery of the Walnut Creek Nordstrom store. #nordstrom #flashmobrobbery pic.twitter.com/LPlrNeiyhg
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) November 21, 2021
A group of eight robbers armed with sledgehammers came to a Home Depot in Lakewood, California, to steal $400 worth in hammers, crowbars, and other tools which were used in other robberies including a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, according to Fox News.
The robbers allegedly fled the scene in cars that were waiting in the parking lot. Police stopped a car with no license plates and took four people who may have been involved in the robbery into custody, according to the outlet.
A group of five suspects were allegedly responsible for stealing $25,000 worth in expensive purses from a Nordstrom in the Westfield Topanga Mall the day before Thanksgiving. Another group reportedly stole merchandise from a Bottega Veneta in Beverly Grove of Los Angeles Friday while they used a chemical agent against a person who tried to stop them, Fox News reported.
In Monterey, four robbers allegedly stole about $30,000 worth in sunglasses from a Sunglass Hut. In San Francisco, a group of teenagers reportedly stole more than $20,000 worth of merchandise from an Apple store in broad daylight, according to Fox News.
Former police officer Kevin Nishita was working as a security guard when he was fatally shot while trying to stop an attempted robbery of KRON-TV’s camera equipment, according to the outlet.
We mourn the loss of retired police officer Kevin Nishita who honorably served our Bay Area Community. He was protecting/guarding a local news crew when he was senselessly murdered. Today, we escorted his body from the hospital with full law enforcement honors. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ZbKRn7J732
— Alameda County Sheriff (@ACSOSheriffs) November 27, 2021
The crimes eventually spread to places like Chicago where a group of thieves threw a cinderblock through a Canada Goose store on Thanksgiving, according to the outlet. Three other smash-and-grabs were reported at a Foot Locker, a North Face, and a cell phone store.
In Minneapolis, two Best Buys were robbed, one in Burnsville and one in Maplewood, Fox News reported.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed that California mayors need to “step up” and hold criminals accountable for their repeated crimes, according to Fox News.
“These people need to be held to account,” Newsom added, according to the outlet. “We need to investigate these crimes. We need to break up these crime rings. We need to make an example out of these folks.”