At least 20 people broke into and ransacked a Superior Grocers store in South Los Angeles during a street takeover early on Sunday, forcing employees to flee upstairs and barricade themselves inside, police said.
Officers were called to the shop near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street at about 4.30am after reports of an illegal street takeover and burglary, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
One person was taken into custody in connection with the incident. No injuries were reported, although police said it was not immediately clear how much merchandise had been taken or when the store would reopen.
Footage from inside the supermarket showed food, alcohol and paper products scattered across the floor. The entrance was left with shattered glass following the break-in.
The employees who were in the building during the raid escaped to the second floor and secured themselves inside, according to police.
Shoppers and street vendors described growing frustration over the disruption caused by street takeovers, in which groups gather to watch drivers perform burnouts and other stunts.
“Never surprised,” one shopper said after seeing the damage to the entrance.
A vendor outside the store said the break-in was particularly alarming because the gatherings had become a regular disturbance in the area.
“It’s terrible they would do that,” the vendor said. “It’s my first time seeing that. It’s so terrible.”
Police response to street takeover break-ins
The incident follows the ransacking of an AutoZone about two miles away roughly two weeks ago. An AutoZone in East Los Angeles was also burglarised twice in less than 24 hours during separate street takeovers earlier this month.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has said its Detective Division Street Racing Task Force is working to identify and arrest people involved in illegal takeovers, including spectators who attend or support them.
The department said investigations had led to vehicles being located and impounded with 30-day holds in communities including El Monte, Anaheim and Simi Valley.
“Street takeovers aren’t entertainment,” the sheriff’s department said in a social media post. “They put drivers, spectators, pedestrians and surrounding communities at serious risk.”
