A street takeover in Compton early Sunday morning was followed by a large mob breaking down the door of a gas station and stealing thousands of dollars worth of products.
Video of the street takeover shows a large group of people blocking the four-way intersection with cars drifting in circles with tires screeching loudly around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
Another video shows several men kicking the door of the mini mart down followed by many more individuals ransacking the store of thousands of dollars of alcohol, snacks and condoms. The gas station and convenience store sustained severe damage as a result of the looting.
The intersection of Central Avenue and Alondra Boulevard was covered in tire marks and trash littered the sidewalk outside of the Arco mini mart in the hours after the illegal street takeover. The crowd, which consisted of roughly 100 people, dispersed in all directions quickly after the looting.
Sheriff’s deputies said they also received reports of gunshots being fired about a block away from the street takeover. So far, no arrests have been made.
“It makes me angry,” said Norrice Heron, who witnessed the chaos. “It’s makes me angry when they do that to the streets and put everybody in danger.
Community members who witnessed the mayhem said that they are starting to see children cheering their parents on at events like this and are fearful for their safety and the safety of the community. They also say that the illegal street takeovers happen “spot to spot” in the neighborhood and for the most part always take place early on Sunday mornings.
Authorities are actively investigating and reviewing surveillance footage to try and identify suspects involved in the illegal street takeover and looting of the convenience store. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.