A Bay Area Nordstrom store in Walnut Creek, California was looted in a brazen smash and grab robbery over the weekend in a continuation of the area's lawlessness that's escalated from CVS shoplifting to apparently coordinated hits like the one on Saturday night.
More than one dozen cars blocked the street while around 80 individuals — some wearing ski masks and wielding crowbars — ran into the store, smashed cases and grabbed loads of merchandise, then returned to their idling vehicles and fled.
#Breaking About 25 cars just blocked the street and rushed into the Walnut Creek Nordstrom making off with goods before getting in cars snd speeding away. At least two people arrested at gunpoint. pic.twitter.com/AG3R94M9L3
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) November 21, 2021
According to the local CBS affiliate, "Police began receiving calls from Nordstrom employees about the looting at around 9 p.m." on Saturday. Employees reported that "there were approximately 80 individuals who ran into the store and began looting and smashing shelves."
'IT WAS INSANE'; WALNUT CREEK NORDSTROM HIT
— Betty Yu (@BettyKPIX) November 21, 2021
Police say 80 people ran into the store, began looting around 9 pm. 3 people were arrested and at least 2 workers were assaulted, with one being pepper sprayed by a suspect. @KPIXtv @JulietteKPIX https://t.co/ctaFptOkWR pic.twitter.com/FiMt6nW6HZ
A handful of employees working at the Nordstrom were injured when they were assaulted and pepper sprayed by the looters in the attack that lasted little more than one minute.
According to authorities, "an 18-year-old Oakland man and two people from San Francisco, ages 30 and 32, were taken into custody. Police also seized a gun from one of the suspects."
While most of the looters got away, @walnutcreekpd did arrest a few following the flash mob robbery of the Walnut Creek Nordstrom store. #nordstrom #flashmobrobbery pic.twitter.com/LPlrNeiyhg
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) November 21, 2021
With so many looters getting away and there being a continued uptick in theft, authorities in the Bay Area warned businesses and residents to be prepared for more mob smash and grab attacks as the busy holiday shopping season continues.
As Townhall has reported previously, brazen shoplifting in and around San Francisco has caused businesses to change their operations already in an attempt to protect themselves even when city officials will not. Even in just the last weekend, as a Bay Area reported highlighted, the Nordstrom hit wasn't the only instance of theft going mostly unpunished in the last few days:
OVER THE WEEKEND:
— Camila Barco (@cbarcotv) November 22, 2021
- ten stores vandalized and burglarized in SF’s Union Square
- 80 people ransack Walnut Creek’s Nordstrom
- Lululemon looted in San Jose
- 9 people smash and grab at Sam's Jewlers in Hayward
Only a few arrested, dozens ran away. @kron4news
Julio previously covered one of many situations in which "shocking video of a shoplifter taking armfuls of products in a San Francisco Walgreens and getting away with the merchandise while encountering little resistance" in June.
Absolute lawlessness in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/DRUiW6iuZX
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 15, 2021
Landon reported on how Walgreens began shuttering locations in the Bay Area because of the losses due to shoplifting, and Rebecca explained here what Target stores were doing to try and limit their exposure to theft by limiting their hours of operation.