California Nordstrom ransacked by a gang of 80 with 25 cars

Copy cats or same gang hit a Los Angeles Nordstrom yesterday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-20-people-raiding-Nordstrom-store-Grove.html

Smaller raid only 20 involved in this one. The governor of California said he'll step in/crackdown. And around the time all this is happening a CVS was hit for $8500 in cash.

Many are blaming the high dollar amount to be arrested for theft which is $950
 

$950 is just the felony amount. If a persons aggregate total thefts in a year is $950, that enhances it to the felony level. Plus you can bet CA will charge those arrested with conspiracy/complicity to commit felony theft by grand totals of everything stolen or some type of gang conduct statute, etc.

If employees were assaulted, that also would up the charge to robbery etc.
 
ohioboy said:
$950 is just the felony amount. If a persons aggregate total thefts in a year is $950, that enhances it to the felony level. Plus you can bet CA will charge those arrested with conspiracy/complicity to commit felony theft by grand totals of everything stolen or some type of gang conduct statute, etc.

If employees were assaulted, that also would up the charge to robbery etc.
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Yes, but in practice, shoplifters stealing less than $950 are rarely arrested, much less prosecuted. And now they're not even being reported. Store chains say San Francisco shoplifting rates are five times the national average.

And, in case this thread is being monitored, this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with politics.
 

Another similar robber last night. A gang rushed a Canoga Park Nordstrom security guard and employees including spraying them then grabbed $25K in high end handbags.

https://nypost.com/2021/11/25/california-thieves-steal-25000-in-goods-mace-security/

The increasing amount and use of violence is the issue that neads attention. These criminals aren't stealing for a loaf of bread(does anyone steal a loaf of bread now a days?) Also reports of of theft gang leaders are paying these looters $500-1000 per 'job'.
 
hollydolly said:
if anything is going to kill Bricks and mortar stores and hand everything over to online shopping...it''s going to be this . Absolutely diabolical...!! As of yet we've not had that here, and I hope never but usually what happens there soon gets copied everywhere..
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I have heard of similar occurrences in the UK involving travellers, not to the same scale but even in our small town there was an invasion a couple of years ago that almost got out of control.

I have a friend who works at a Beefeater restaurant in Stevenage and she tells me that they do get parties of travellers sometimes descend on them and then refuse to pay for their food.
 
WhatInThe said:
The increasing amount and use of violence is the issue that neads attention. These criminals aren't stealing for a loaf of bread(does anyone steal a loaf of bread now a days?) Also reports of of theft gang leaders are paying these looters $500-1000 per 'job'.
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With all the mandates these past two years and the many families that have lost their livelihood because of them, perhaps these types of jobs are becoming more common out of desperation and necessity. Although quite unfortunate, these incidents in particular seem to be part of a logical progression from the overbearing draconian mandates and oppression that are continuing to be forced on society.
 
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David777 said:
Probably some of the same group from this last week:

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/11/16/armed-smash-and-grab-robbers-hit-concord-jewelry-store/

These type of incidents could be slowed down if Alameda County allowed more license plate readers. Any time cities do such, civil rights mobs of lawyers shows and floods their local media with news stories like everyone is against whatever despite public opinion being for such. In almost all of these cases, stolen vehicles or vehicles with stolen plates are being used that drive in from Oakland, Richmond, and Antioch. Each day many drive right over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco to prowl streets looking to smash and grab break in cars. If stolen vehicles or plates were read, it would discourage even doing so. In SF, the DA, is now set for a June election recall, because he lets most right out without jail and if a case does go to court, perpetrators are deemed too poor to be fined.
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i've been sort of following the story about the SF DA. Seems he goes real light on Domestic Violence perps too. Meantime he and his supporters keep saying he's going to reduce crime in his jurisdiction but i haven't heard any specifics of how.
 
AnnieA said:
@JimBob1952 , @Nathan ...surely you have other boards on which to discuss politics. Now you've created busy work for Matrix who is kind enough to host this board, has a no politics rule and your behavior will likely get the thread closed. Great job, guys. :rolleyes:
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i'm confused, don't see anything by either of those members preceding this comment on this thread, i could have missed or could they have been removed? Tho i recall a civil exchange between them about voter suppression on another thread. Which did get closed, but like because of some less civil comments by others, and Matrix nipped in the bud by closing.
 
hollydolly said:
if anything is going to kill Bricks and mortar stores and hand everything over to online shopping...it''s going to be this . Absolutely diabolical...!! As of yet we've not had that here, and I hope never but usually what happens there soon gets copied everywhere..
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If one lives in an area where this is common, the stores start closing so people are ordering online more they need to be sure they take steps to ensure package delivery. Suspect in suburban areas the sales of 'Ring' cameras/apps will increase, and they are a good idea.

i live a small rural town--no home delivery by US Post Office we have to have PO Boxes for most mail. Certain items will be sent Fed Ex/UPS to physical address and most of us have at least 1 large dog which tend to discourage trouble makers. But most packages will go thru Post Office--both the private carriers will drop packages off at US Post Office and even if PO Box # not on package because we're a small town the workers usually don't even have look us up on their computers---but know which box is ours.
 
feywon said:
If one lives in an area where this is common, the stores start closing so people are ordering online more they need to be sure they take steps to ensure package delivery. Suspect in suburban areas the sales of 'Ring' cameras/apps will increase, and they are a good idea.

i live a small rural town--no home delivery by US Post Office we have to have PO Boxes for most mail. Certain items will be sent Fed Ex/UPS to physical address and most of us have at least 1 large dog which tend to discourage trouble makers. But most packages will go thru Post Office--both the private carriers will drop packages off at US Post Office and even if PO Box # not on package because we're a small town the workers usually don't even have look us up on their computers---but know which box is ours.
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I too live on the edge of a small rural town, and although most all of our stores are still in business ( albeit we have lost a lot) more and more people since the onset of C-19 are shopping online. We have the Ring Video doorbell. .. and although crime here is very low, last Christmas we had a box of wine delivered from business associates of my husband who sends it as a gift every year , but this time we'd had no notice it was coming and were not home , and the delivery company in their infinite wisdom left it on the doorstep in full view of the road ( here in the Uk unlike many other countries, delivery drivers are supposed to knock and wait for an answer before leaving the parcel or deliver another day) .. and despite the doorbell being in full view right in the middle of the door , a thief stole the box of wine .

Well regardless of the right and wrongs of the wine merchants leaving it there, we reported it to the police and were surprised and delighted when they knew exactly who this thief was and actually arrested him, ... and just approx 3 months later we learned his name when he was taken to court and fined and ordered to pay restitution..which by the by we haven't received nor expect to see, but with the evidence of the video the company provided another box of wine too.., so without that Video doorbell we would have had no evidence a crime had taken place, and it proves that these things will be needed more and more as we shop more and more from home..
 
hollydolly said:
I too live on the edge of a small rural town, and although most all of our stores are still in business ( albeit we have lost a lot) more and more people since the onset of C-19 are shopping online. We have the Ring Video doorbell. .. and although crime here is very low, last Christmas we had a box of wine delivered from business associates of my husband who sends it as a gift every year , but this time we'd had no notice it was coming and were not home , and the delivery company in their infinite wisdom left it on the doorstep in full view of the road ( here in the Uk unlike many other countries, delivery drivers are supposed to knock and wait for an answer before leaving the parcel or deliver another day) .. and despite the doorbell being in full view right in the middle of the door , a thief stole the box of wine .

Well regardless of the right and wrongs of the wine merchants leaving it there, we reported it to the police and were surprised and delighted when they knew exactly who this thief was and actually arrested him, ... and just approx 3 months later we learned his name when he was taken to court and fined and ordered to pay restitution..which by the by we haven't received nor expect to see, but with the evidence of the video the company provided another box of wine too.., so without that Video doorbell we would have had no evidence a crime had taken place, and it proves that these things will be needed more and more as we shop more and more from home..
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I remember that!
 
fmdog44 said:
Recall states declaring some crimes to be ignored by the authorities. We see people calmly walking out of stores carrying what they want and no one can touch them as employees are instructed to leave them alone.
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It’s the same here. Do not touch the thief. I watched in a grocery store as two male shoppers try to stop a shoplifter as management was yelling not to touch him. Lawsuits. BTW, the shoppers did stop him and he was yelling that he didn’t do anything.
 
John cycling said:
With all the mandates these past two years and the many families that have lost their livelihood because of them, perhaps these types of jobs are becoming more common out of desperation and necessity. Although quite unfortunate, these incidents in particular seem to be part of a logical progression from the overbearing draconian mandates and oppression that are continuing to be forced on society.
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Deleted.
 
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Jules said:
It’s the same here. Do not touch the thief. I watched in a grocery store as two male shoppers try to stop a shoplifter as management was yelling not to touch him. Lawsuits. BTW, the shoppers did stop him and he was yelling that he didn’t do anything.
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The sad truth is that every shopper pays extra for retail goods to cover "inventory shrinkage" due to shoplifters, internal thieving and damages.

That said, the mobs described in this thread aren't shoplifting - they're participating in organized crime. I'd guess CA and other states will swiftly pass legislation to reclassify these actions from simple shoplifting misdemeanors to organized criminal felonies, with stiff sentencing guidelines.
 
StarSong said:
... I'd guess CA and other states will swiftly pass legislation to reclassify these actions from simple shoplifting misdemeanors to organized criminal felonies, with stiff sentencing guidelines.
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That will only work if the criminal justice system stops no bail "catch and release" and actually does process and sentence. That's not happening in many places for violent crimes, much less theft.
 
A key issue with stopping large groups of looters is how to physically stop a looter without killing or seriously physically harming any. Decades ago, that was not an issue as thieves were shot as anyone watching old movies can readily watch. Those were also the days when police would yell at fleeing criminals to stop and if they did not, were shot at. Although younger generations may find it hard to believe society allowed such, it was just the tip of the iceberg of a long list of allowed cultural behaviors considered normal. Remember those westerns where a posy would encounter a gang of bad hombres and a horse riding sequence would follow with guns blazing as one bandit at a time was picked off.

So what could larger retailers do without maiming looters? One idea would be to spray them with water soluable red paint. The same stuff used at paintball courts but would not to use paintball guns but rather powerful squirt guns. So retailers could have automatic paint squirt guns set up at entrance doors. Once looting began and a store employee actuated their system that would also actuate a loud recorded voice warning customers to not go through doors lest paint spray. All doors would spray red paint at anyone that passed through. It would then not be able to turn off until police arrived and did so. That means a foolish customer that decided to leave despite the vocal warning would also be sprayed, their own fault. Although such paint sprayed clothing can be washed, I'd expect that may be difficult with types of white fabrics of clothing. Little legal matter if forewarned.

So a gang of looters goes into some Apple Store in a mall with say 20 customers already inside. Use hammers to break cases and dikes to cut cables. Run through entrance doors and get sprayed some with red paint including their head and hair. As they continue running out of that mall, paint dripping, everyone that sees them knows exactly what the red is. People look at them, some scream. Out on the streets, every one of them leaving can be visually tracked to their vehicles that the parking lot security can then identify vehicle license plates of, stolen or not plus vehicle type/color, to immediately provide to police. Someone might wonder if looters might then take hostages or threaten with harm customers? Unlikely for the level of products targeted unless it was expensive jewelry. Someone else might wonder if the looters used rain coats or plastic sheets they might then abandon after being sprayed? Not likely they could walk down a street sidewalk and enter a store or mall without being obvious.
 
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Problem so many retailers are afraid of being sued they don't allow their own security to anything physical to a suspect including pursue. Most follow the perp into the parking lot and get a license if that. Calling the police asap is the best they can do.

Also keep in mind once these thieves start assaulting people all bets are off because individual have a right to defend themselves and/or others. These crimes are escalating in frequency and aggressive behavior. This will not end well for victim or those poor little perps.
 


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