A second video has surfaced of a gang of looters armed with bear spray making their way through a Nordstrom store, taking $100,000 worth of luxury goods.
The gang of up to 50 adorned themselves in black hoodies and covered their faces as they reached for expensive luggage during a raid on the Westfield Topanga Mall department store on Saturday.
Videos are circulating on social media with a new angle showing the thieves stealing luxury goods, including a Burberry handbag, before fleeing the scene.
In the video, an employee appears to be gesturing to other people to stay behind as the large group swarmed the store.
The new video also shows a thief in a black balaclava slipping and falling as he exits the store.
One of the thieves here is loaded with numerous bags and even a small suitcase
Others grabbed items of clothing and quickly escaped before police arrived on the scene
The new footage was shared on Twitter by user Noel Escobar who captioned his video, “I was shopping at Topanga Mall when this happened!! They started stealing all of Nordstroms’ Designers.’
In his video, loud bangs and shattering glass can be heard as he pans his camera around the store.
Several individuals are seen tugging at goods with security tags and looting clothes rails, while what appears to be a member of staff seemingly urging other customers to stay away.
You can hear Escobar say, “Damn, this is all crazy. This is crazy.’
Thieves are seen making their way to the exit, with one of them carrying a briefcase and other luxury luggage.
The group swarmed into the shop around 4pm on Saturday, taking armfuls of items, some accidentally dropping goods amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around broken glass and overturned mannequins.
The gang had also used bear spray to attack two security guards in the store, allowing them to cause mayhem.
An ambulance attended the scene, but it remains unclear whether anyone was taken to hospital following the incident.
Witnesses saw the looters flee, several in vehicles, including Lexus and BMW cars.
Investigators believe the group stole approximately $60,000 and $100,000 worth of merchandise
Witnesses saw the looters break free, several in vehicles, including Lexus and BMW cars
One of the thieves in this photo is holding a Burberry bag and seemingly looking for more goods to steal
A customer in the store told me NBC Los Angeles that she had seen them targeting Yves Saint Laurent products.
The customer, known only as Janie, told the outlet, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It is a shame.
“I saw three cars pull over and I saw these guys just run away with all these purses. They just took all the YSL.’
The same Nordstrom had previously been looted in November 2021 when robbers again used bear spray on a security guard and stole designer goods.
Following the incident, LA Mayor Karen Bass said, “What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable.
The same Nordstrom store in Westfield Topanga was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer wallets
Another angle of the incident shows the large group looting and destroying the store
The group sprinted to the door in an effort to quickly exit the store and secure as much merchandise as possible
“Those who committed these acts and acted in such a way in neighboring areas must be held accountable.
“The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work not only to find those responsible for this incident, but also to prevent these attacks on retailers in the future.”
In a statement, the LAPD said: “Officers from the Topanga Division were on the scene quickly and have several investigative leads.
“For criminals, it’s just property theft. For those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall, it is a loss of sense of security.
“The LAPD will make every effort to apprehend those responsible and bring criminal charges.”
Last week, stunned bystanders witnessed the shocking moment when a gang of at least 30 brazen thieves raided an Yves Saint Laurent store in a California luxury mall.
Videos posted online showed several people in dark clothing, hoods and masks entering the Americana at Brand store shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday and then quickly running out.
Glendale police said the thieves got away with about $300,000 in merchandise after overwhelming staff and taking everything they could in less than a minute.
None of the thieves used weapons in the brutal scheme, and no injuries were reported.
An investigation is underway as California continues to face a spate of robberies after lawmakers lowered the penalty for theft of property to less than $950.
Robberies have become almost commonplace in California, where theft of items worth $950 or less is a felony.
Those convicted of such a crime can face up to six months in prison, but in most cases the police do not even bother to report the crime.
The California Senate also passed legislation in May prohibiting employees from confronting active shooters or shoplifters in California.
Proponents say it protects staff from violence, but stores and employees themselves say the measure will only encourage further shoplifting.