Dozens of young people participated in a vandalism spree in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night, leaving damage and questions in their path.
The melee combat was captured in video, and the police are now trying to identify the suspects. The incident marked another worrying incident when the center tries to recover from the pandemic.
“I hope you face some kind of fines or at least time in jail. I don't know,” said Teddy Lee, owner of Dtla Window Tint, whose store cameras captured men with baseball caps and t -shirts that are coincidentally approaching their business with spray cans and vandalizing it.
This is what we know based on time reports.
A large crowd took over several streets in the center of Los Angeles.
(Onscene.tv)
What led the crowd to the center of Los Angeles?
Police say that hundreds of people appeared for an illegal roof concert that covers two parking lots in the center of Los Angeles, and a group of them then spilled in the surrounding neighborhood.
According to the police, there were reports of a large disturbance and the owner of the vacancy confirmed that the group was moving on Saturday night. A punk band played on one of the warehouse -style buildings that was being used without the knowledge of the owner.
“The events had been widely announced on social networks,” said the Los Angeles Police Department, CMDR. Lillian Carranza.
A large crowd took over several streets in downtown Los Angeles, leaving behind a trace of destruction.
(Onscene.tv)
What happened exactly?
Police say that hundreds of people showed up for an illegal party in downtown Los Angeles, with a group of them then spilling the surrounding neighborhood
The crowd was first noticed at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Maple Avenue.
Some were dressed for the party, wearing pink platform and cat ears, according to the video filmed by the Onscene.TV news media. A man came out of a jug full of an flammable liquid that spat into a torch, throwing flames to the night sky.
The attention of the crowd went to a line train, which had stopped along its route in Washington Boulevard. According to the video, the vandals inside the crowd began to paint the train and hammer in the windows.
The Los Angeles Police Department was alerted at 12:12 am on Sunday by a person who called that five people had entered a train car and were destroying the interior, said officer Kevin Terzes, LAPD spokesman.
The video showed dozens of LAPD officers in a skirmish line on the other side of the Mafia Street, grabbing black riot and green guns that shoot foam.
Some in the crowd posed for selfies next to a LAPD cruiser painted with spray. They were hostile with the officers, threw fireworks and kicked the police car while the officers moved away, according to the video.
The train service was delayed about 20 minutes after about 50 people blocked trains to the south and north in Washington Boulevard and Maple Avenue at midnight, said Jose Ubaldo, a subway spokesman.
Four officers were injured, including one that was beaten in the face with a bottle.
Why were there no arrests that night?
“Our officers were highly surpassed in number and, therefore, the decision was, of course, the area instead of arrests,” Carranza said.
About 100 people from a party separated and went to a vandalism spree, Carranza said. A group of about 50 people blocked two line trains, vandalizing them.
The officers finally declared an illegal assembly, established a line of skirmish and expelled young people from the area.
What is being done now?
Mayor Karen Bass requested that those responsible were found and responsible.
Several civil officers were in the area on Tuesday that surveyed local companies for witnesses and video of security cameras. Others are combing food on social networks for evidence.
According to a subway spokesman, he pulled a subway train car to eliminate graffiti, according to a subway spokesman.
Carranza said that the operators of the underground parties were being tracked along with those who helped advertise events in the heart of the problem.
“I can assure you that we will find those responsible,” Carranza said.
Times staff writer Matthew Ormseth contributed to this report.