A family-owned liquor store in Bellflower, California, was ransacked by dozens of people during a street takeover early Saturday, leaving the business with about $30,000 in damages and stolen merchandise, according to local authorities and the store owners.
The burglary happened around 3:30 a.m. local time at A-Z Market near Bellflower Boulevard and Somerset Boulevard, while more than 100 vehicles had gathered nearby for a street takeover, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
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Authorities said roughly 30 to 40 unidentified people entered the store and looted it. Security footage showed masked individuals breaking through the business’s locks before entering and removing merchandise from shelves.
The group first damaged exterior security cameras and attempted to cut through the store’s deadbolt with a power tool. After that effort failed, the suspects smashed a window and cut through additional locks to get inside, according to the store owner.
Inside, the group damaged counters, refrigerators and a lottery machine while taking merchandise. The owners said the damage alone had reached about $30,000, separate from the value of goods that were stolen.
Nathan Abdullatif, a co-owner of A-Z Market, said the incident was particularly difficult for the family because of the years of work invested in the business.
“It was heartbreaking. It was so shocking … It doesn’t even feel real,” Abdullatif told ABC7. “You always see this in the media. You always see it in other places but when it happens to you – and everything you’ve built over the years – it’s just very hard.”
The owners said they received an alert from the store’s alarm system after people were detected outside. They contacted law enforcement, but the suspects had left by the time deputies arrived.
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The looting reportedly lasted about two minutes before the group left the store and blended into the crowd gathered for the street takeover. Deputies issued several citations connected to the street takeover but had not linked anyone to the burglary as of Tuesday.
The incident highlights the challenges businesses can face when large street takeovers draw crowds and create opportunities for property crimes. Similar burglaries have also been reported in the Los Angeles area in connection with street takeovers.
The A-Z Market owners have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of repairs and losses.