A Los Angeles City Councilman is calling for more police officers and resources following the latest in a series of robberies and looting at 7-Eleven convenience stores.
Police received a call about a robbery suspect in the 100 block of North Gaffey Street in San Pedro around 1:39 a.m. Saturday, according to LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes. She said the people entered a business, took items and vandalized the store. Officers took a robbery report, but no arrests have been made.
Although Cervantes said he had no information on what or how much was stolen from the store, KTLA-TV reported that more than 1,000 packs of cigarettes and two cash registers, containing about $5,000, were stolen.
ABC7 put the figure much higher, at around $40,000 worth of goods, including $1,000 worth of cigarettes and $20,000 worth of lottery tickets.
KTLA obtained surveillance video that showed a group of people jumping over the counter and grabbing cigarettes and other items. The news outlet reported that a large crowd had gathered to take over the street near the store.
Councilman Tim McOsker, whose district includes San Pedro, said in a statement that the incident is a “continuation of a pattern” occurring throughout the city.
“This isn’t just about property damage or stolen items, but also about a victim, an employee, who is fearful for their safety and a neighborhood that is fearful and now doesn’t have a convenience store on the corner,” McOsker said. “I find it deeply disturbing that incidents like these are becoming more common.”
This appears to be the third weekend in a row that a 7-Eleven store in the Los Angeles area has been targeted. Earlier this month in the Pico-Robertson area, a group of youths looted a 7-Eleven store and rode off on bicycles, Fox 11-TV reported. Video showed people jumping over the counter and grabbing merchandise.
Last weekend, men on bicycles held up two Hollywood convenience stores, which were reported to be 7-Eleven stores. About 20 youths arrived at a store in the 7000 block of Sunset Boulevard around 8 p.m., smashed windows and took food and other merchandise, a department spokesman said. A group of youths fitting the same description then held up another store around 8:20 p.m. in the 5700 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.
Last month, authorities arrested four Los Angeles County men in connection with a series of armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores and a CVS last year, which they then allegedly posted about on Instagram.
McOsker said more resources are needed in 911 operations, as well as more personnel at the LAPD.
“We could have stopped this at the street level before it escalated,” he said. “That’s why we need to ramp up hiring at the LAPD. Our officers need to be able to respond quickly to prevent these incidents from happening.”
KTLA spoke to the family that owns the 7-Eleven, who said they immigrated to the United States three years ago in hopes of a better life, but were now questioning their decision.
