Southern California Gas Station Ransacked by Large Mob, None Arrested

A file photo of Arco gas station in Yucaipa, Calif., on July 10, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

A gas station in Southern California was looted and vandalized by a large group of young people on April 16 after a street takeover, leaving responding officers outnumbered with zero arrests.

Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies returned to patrolling the area the next day.

Video footage shared by the Telegram channel group @police_frequency shows dozens of looters ransacking a mini-mart at the Arco gas station on Alondra Boulevard in Compton early that morning, stealing thousands of dollars of merchandise and causing damages while the store’s clerk reportedly hid in the bathroom.

One video shows a masked man breaking the glass of the store’s door and breaking in before a large group poured in behind him. Some individuals were also masked.

Some looters with smiles on their faces can be seen stealing from the store’s fridges, items from behind the clerk’s register—including condoms and cigarettes—as well as food and snacks. Another video shows shelves completely knocked over, with merchandise scattered on the ground, as people toppled over each other entering and leaving the store.

The sheriff’s department will conduct an investigation into the looting, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

About a block away from the store, LASD deputies told news outlets there were shots fired around the same time but no injuries were reported. Deputies also received calls of illegal street racing earlier in the night in the area, with two large street takeovers of about 500 people taking place near the looted store.

Reports of vandalism were also reported at a laundromat in the city around the same time after a separate street takeover nearby.

It’s unclear whether the looters were Compton residents, but City Councilman Jonathan Bowers told a local news station they were likely outsiders.

“I am totally disgusted,” Bowers told ABC 7. “I’m just upside down behind this. These kids coming in our city and just destroying it like this. In my opinion, the city has not done enough to quell this issue. There are other alternatives and ways to deal with this and I feel like we put it on the back burner, and we’re dragging our feet as this thing is getting worse.”

People with any information about the looting are urged to contact the sheriff’s department.

LASD Compton Station didn’t respond to a request for comment by press deadline.