LA Mall Loses $60–100k in Seconds in Daytime Smash and Grab, Police Left With Minimal Clues

chalermphon_tiam / shutterstock.com
chalermphon_tiam / shutterstock.com

With no warning or fanfare, the tranquility of the Nordstrom in the Westfield Topanga Mall was suddenly shattered by the violent invasion of about 30 suspects.

Rushing the store in a mobbing fashion, the suspects went to work. The security guard was sprayed with either mace or bear spray, and the suspects started stealing. Display cases were smashed, security tags went off, and display racks with bags secured to them were being dragged out the door. Disappearing out the same doors just minutes later, they made their escape in multiple vehicles. So far, a BMW, Lexus, and Honda have been identified, and more are expected.

With masks over their faces, law enforcement has their work ahead of them. Shockingly though, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is trying to sound like she’s taking this seriously. “What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable. Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable. The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.”

The true test lies in seeing how dedicated she and the LAPD will be in trying to bring these assailants to justice. With $60-100k in damages, the insurance company is going to want some justice for having to pay out on such cases, if they’ll even cover this kind of loss. If they won’t, Nordstrom definitely shouldn’t take this kind of loss from these animals.

Wanton disregard for the law as well as for the rules of human society is something we, as Americans, should never stand for. It’s right that Mayor Bass is trying to do what is right, but she needs to make some examples out of this kind of crime. Without a healthy sense of respect for the laws we have established, we have no order, and LA cannot afford to fall like San Francisco already has.