A mob of looters can be seen ransacking a 7-Eleven convenience store just outside Sacramento in a shocking new video released by police.
In the chaotic video, dozens of rowdy shoplifters run amok inside the store, entering and exiting through a smashed plate-glass window while carrying cases of beer and cigarette cartons.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the fracas began after a nearby “sideshow” — an unsanctioned, illegal gathering where groups of drivers take over parking lots or even busy public roadways to perform dangerous automotive stunts.
Cops arrived approximately five minutes after being called, but by the time they got there, the looters were already long gone.
Police are actively seeking tips that can help them identify participants in a brazen looting at a 7-Eleven convenience store earlier this month in Rio Linda, about 13 miles from Sacramento. Sacramento County Sheriffâs OfficeMost of the pillagers shown in the video make no attempt to hide their faces, but others attempt to shield their identities either with ski masks or by pulling their shirts up over their noses. One man seen repeatedly coming back inside for more merchandise is wearing a clown mask with a bright orange wig.
Police said “this investigation is very active,” and that they believe some of the suspects are likely from the Bay Area. Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 cash reward for tips leading to an arrest.
California has seen a sharp uptick in this type of brazen group theft, from gas stations to jewelry shops to luxury goods stores in upscale malls, often in broad daylight.
The group theft, which started after a nearby “sideshow” street takeover, involved dozens of suspects, including one man wearing a clown mask with a bright orange wig. Sacramento County Sheriffâs OfficeMany videos of the robberies have been widely distributed on social media, leading to widespread criticism that the state’s lax approach to organized shoplifting isn’t doing enough to curtail such incidents.
Last month, law enforcement agencies in San Francisco and Los Angeles announced the state will spend a whopping $267 million to step up enforcement efforts in an attempt to crack down on smash-and-grab robberies across the state.
New York City has also fallen prey to several high-profile smash-and-grab heists this year, including an incident at a Park Slope jewelry store in January where thieves made off with $2 million in merchandise in less than a minute.
