Mob of 20 Loots Superior Grocers in South LA During Street Takeover

At least 20 thieves ransacked a Superior Grocers in South Los Angeles around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, forcing employees to barricade upstairs. One arrest was made.

South LA Grocery Store Raided as Employees Lock Themselves Upstairs

At least 20 people stormed a Superior Grocers location in South Los Angeles early Sunday morning, looting the store while terrified staff barricaded themselves on the second floor, NY Post Metro reports.

The break-in occurred around 4:30 a.m. near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street. Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the scene and took one person into custody. No injuries were reported.

Employees who were inside the store when the mob forced its way through the doors fled upstairs and locked themselves in as the group ransacked the business below. Police said the full value of stolen merchandise has not yet been determined, and it remains unclear when the store will reopen.

Part of a Broader Crime Wave Tied to Street Takeovers

The Superior Grocers raid is the latest in a series of brazen smash-and-grab burglaries linked to illegal street takeovers that have hit the Los Angeles area in recent weeks.

AutoZone locations in East LA, Watts, Downey, and Long Beach have been struck multiple times in connection with similar events. A Boyle Heights pharmacy was also targeted by masked thieves who used a saw to cut through security bars while a crowd of roughly 100 people had gathered nearby. Police said as many as 10 individuals eventually entered Lorena Pharmacy and fled with baskets of merchandise.

Minutes after that raid, three suspects reportedly entered a Jack in the Box in East Los Angeles during a separate street takeover less than two miles away. Two masked individuals allegedly made off with two cash registers, according to LAPD.

East LA AutoZone Hit Twice in Under 24 Hours

Among the most high-profile incidents earlier this month, an AutoZone in East Los Angeles was ransacked twice in less than 24 hours near Olympic and Atlantic boulevards.

The first break-in took place around 2:22 a.m. on Aug. 8, when one person allegedly smashed the store's glass entrance and 10 others followed inside. Less than a day later, more than 100 vehicles swarmed the intersection near the same store during another street takeover, and a portion of the crowd broke off to hit the AutoZone again — which had already been boarded up from the previous night.

Video from the scene showed looters, many with their faces covered, breaking into the battered storefront and fleeing with arms full of goods. At least $50,000 in merchandise and three cash registers were reportedly stolen across the two incidents.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department later released photos of suspects it identified as involved in what authorities described as a "coordinated, mob-like burglary." Investigators have asked the public for help identifying 41 suspects believed responsible for the two thefts.

Task Force Formed, but Businesses Keep Getting Hit

The pattern of burglaries has raised concerns about the ability of law enforcement to simultaneously manage large, disruptive street takeover crowds and protect nearby businesses. When officers focus resources on controlling hundreds of vehicles blocking intersections in the middle of the night, surrounding storefronts have repeatedly become vulnerable.

Authorities have established a task force aimed at curbing both the illegal street takeovers and the property crimes that tend to follow. Despite those efforts, businesses across the Los Angeles area continue to be targeted by large groups during the nighttime gatherings.

The investigation into the Superior Grocers burglary remains ongoing.

Source: NY Post Metro