Multiple convenience stores and businesses in Los Angeles County have been targeted in a series of brazen smash-and-grab thefts, with authorities linking some of these incidents to illegal street takeovers. The latest incident occurred early Monday morning in Bellflower, where masked individuals shattered the front door of an Atlas Fuel convenience store.
Surveillance footage from the Bellflower incident shows at least two individuals in black hoodies using a sledgehammer to break into the store around 2:45 a.m. A store worker, who was alone at the time, attempted to deter the thieves with a dustpan and broom before retreating behind a bulletproof partition. The group quickly ransacked the store, stealing snacks, drinks, and candies. The owner stated the thieves also attempted to take an ATM and that the entire event lasted only a minute or two.
This incident follows a pattern of similar heists in the Los Angeles area. Early Sunday morning, approximately 20 thieves targeted a Superior Grocers store in South Los Angeles during an illegal street takeover. The break-in occurred around 4:30 a.m. near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street.
On Sunday night, two other businesses were targeted. Around 11 p.m., the Lorena Pharmacy in Boyle Heights was burglarized. Less than two miles away, officers responded to a Jack in the Box in East Los Angeles at approximately 11:15 p.m. amid another street takeover. Footage from this scene showed suspects using a saw to cut through the store's entrance before allegedly stealing goods.
These recent events echo a prior incident less than two weeks ago where a family-owned store, A-Z Market in Bellflower, was looted. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department estimated the combined value of stolen inventory and property damage from that event to be nearly $30,000. Images from A-Z Market showed extensive disarray, with emptied drawers, stripped shelves, and merchandise scattered throughout the store.
The coordinated nature and brazenness of these thefts, often occurring during or immediately after illegal street takeovers, have raised concerns among business owners and law enforcement.