Parents turn in their kids after LAPD shares nearly 200 surveillance images of 7-Eleven mob robberies by 'youthful males'
A handful of parents turned in their kids after Los Angeles police shared nearly 200 surveillance images of recent 7-Eleven mob robberies by "youthful males."
Blaze News has been reporting about the 7-Eleven heists on bikes. In August, a mob of about 20 individuals pulled off three nighttime smash-and-grab robberies in a span of 20 minutes. Last month, 50 juveniles on bicycles easily ransacked and robbed a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles and escaped police.
Police said 13 of the 14 incidents have occurred on Friday evenings.
Police said the suspects enter the stores in the evening, remove merchandise, damage property, and flee on their bicycles without paying. Police said the incidents have been captured on security surveillance video, and the suspects have been described as youthful males, possibly teens, varying in ethnicity and physicality. Here's cell phone video of one incident.
Police said the suspects on several occasions physically pushed witnesses during the criminal takeovers with "no regard" for others' safety. Police added that although no injuries have been reported, several witnesses "continue to fear for their safety after such aggressive and callous criminal behavior."
Last week police unveiled a more extensive rundown of the "flash robberies" at 7-Elevens, saying they involve 20 to 40 suspects on bicycles who began targeting the stores on July 12. Police said all of the 7-Elevens are within a short distance of each other in the Rampart, Hollywood, Wilshire, and West LA Divisions. Police said 13 of the 14 incidents have occurred on Friday evenings.
What's more, police in their news release last week included nearly 200 images of suspects captured on surveillance cameras from various robberies.
Catching a break
KTLA-TV reported that Assistant LAPD Chief Blake Chow on Tuesday told the L.A. Board of Police Commissioners that the new release generated numerous tips from the public that led to arrests.
KTLA said the day after the news release was published, a parent brought in a juvenile who was involved in one of the robberies, according to Chow. He added that two other parents also turned in their kids on Saturday and Sunday, the station noted, adding that in each instance the child was booked for robbery.
Investigators learned through interviews that many of the juveniles involved in the 7-Eleven flash robberies were not from the neighborhoods where the crimes took place, Chow told KTLA.
More arrests are anticipated as anonymous tips continue to come in and school resource officers work to identify other juveniles involved, he added to the station.
You can view a video report here about the incidents.
Those with information are urged to contact 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247), KTLA said. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go to www.lacrimestoppers.org, the station added. Tipsters may also download the “P-3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program, KTLA reported.
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