Looters hit San Francisco Bay-area stores for the third day in a row this week as a jewelry store was robbed in the Southland Mall in Hayward and a Lululemon store was struck in San Jose.
Hayward police told local CBS affiliate KPIX that they responded to multiple calls from Southland Mall stores around 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
According to witnesses, a large mob of people created a huge disturbance inside the mall, as some 40 to 50 looters broke glass cases at Sam’s Jewelers with hammers and other tools before fleeing.
“I would say at least 30 to 40 [people] from what I saw,” described one witness, according to KPIX. “But then after the main group of kids rushed out, we saw 15 to 20 scattering, some even came back in.”
“We saw all the other stores closing,” one woman said who works near Sam’s Jewelers. “They were panicking, so we were panicking and quickly closed our store and barricaded ourselves.”
“It was very scary,” another witness said. “People with no morals, no sense for other people’s safety. I feel helpless. It’s disturbing.”
There was another robbery on Friday targeting a Louis Vuitton store among others in San Francisco’s Union Square, one on Saturday at a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, and another at marijuana dispensaries overnight in Oakland, the news outlet reported.
A Lululemon store in Santana Row in San Jose was looted around 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening, but the suspects fled prior to police arriving.
The Nordstrom store in downtown Walnut Creek was hit around 9 p.m. by about 80 looters and smashed shelves and assaulted two employees and pepper-sprayed another.
Three people are in custody, Walnut Creek Lt. Ryan Hibbs told KPIX, and others were being sought.
“The Walnut Creek Police Department is actively monitoring intelligence that indicates the group of thieves who stole from the Broadway Plaza Nordstrom last night are considering similar activity later today,” police tweeted.
“This has not been confirmed, but out of an abundance of caution, we’re alerting businesses and residents to be prepared… some stores may consider closing early or taking other precautions. There is no specific time or target known right now.”
In a Sunday morning news release, authorities said, “Walnut Creek police investigators are in the process of reviewing surveillance footage to attempt to identify other suspects responsible for this brazen act.”
This article was originally published by Just the News. Read the original article.
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