A giant flash mob ransacked and looted a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles following a street takeover at an intersection earlier this week, leaving the store in disarray, authorities said.
A large group entered the convenience store early Monday near Figueroa Street and El Segundo Boulevard. Surveillance video from the store shows looters fanning out across the store and grabbing various items, including drinks, cigarettes, lottery tickets and other merchandise.
The suspects also looted the shelves and threw merchandise at a store employee, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Authorities estimate about 100 people were involved.
During the encounter, a store employee feared for his life, LAPD Det. Ryan Moreno told reporters Thursday. One of the suspects seen on video was a man wearing a Colorado Rockies hat who was throwing food at the store employee, he said.
"There was no resistance. No fight put up," he said.
Afterward, they left the store and fled before police could arrive.
Footage of the incident appears to show someone going over a store counter and throwing what appears to be packs of cigarettes toward the unruly crowd.
"We really want to prevent this from becoming a new trend," Moreno said.
Those involved face charges of vandalism, grand theft and looting. Before the store incident, the crowd held a street takeover nearby and blocked traffic with their vehicles and performed "donuts," police said.
