Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9
Los Angeles Street Takeovers Torch 1 Car and Loot AutoZone of $50,000
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9

Los Angeles Street Takeovers Torch 1 Car and Loot AutoZone of $50,000

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9

Summary

  • Two Los Angeles street takeovers about 2½ hours apart left an AutoZone ransacked in East Los Angeles and a car burning in Gramercy Park early Saturday.
  • More than $50,000 in tools, car batteries, merchandise and three cash registers were estimated stolen after deputies answered a 2:20 a.m. break-in at the AutoZone on South Atlantic Boulevard.
  • Around 5 a.m., police dispersed a crowd blocking West Century Boulevard and South Western Avenue with vehicles and fireworks; firefighters then extinguished a car fire found in the intersection at 4:52 a.m.
  • Authorities have not said whether the incidents were connected, what caused the vehicle fire, or whether any arrests were made, and both cases remain under investigation.
  • The back-to-back episodes underscore a recurring Southern California problem in which illegal takeovers spill from stunt driving into theft and property damage despite ongoing crackdowns.

Insights

With social media monitoring active, how are these massive, destructive street takeovers still catching Los Angeles authorities completely off guard?
Could redesigning urban intersections be the ultimate solution to stopping these dangerous and costly street takeovers in Los Angeles?
After repeated lootings at the same location, what will it actually take to protect local businesses from these organized flash mobs?