It appears there may be quite a few empty shelves during this upcoming holiday season, thanks in part to “smash-and-grab” looters descending once again over the weekend on upscale department stores in San Francisco.
Governor Newsom responding to the steady stream of flash-mob looting targeting high-end stores in the Bay area of San Francisco called on mayors within the state to “step-up” and hold shoplifters accountable.
Newsom, who is actually part of the problem, attempted to divert attention away from his own dismal record towards local officials, stating during a visit on Monday at a vaccine clinic in the Mission District of San Francisco. “I’m not the mayor of California, but I was a mayor, and I know when things like this happen, mayors have to step up.
Adding; “That’s not an indictment. That’s not a cheap shot.”
“These people need to be held to account,” Newsom added. “We need to investigate these crimes. We need to break up these crime rings. We need to make an example out of these folks.”
The Governor, facing increased criticism from retail establishments, has decided to beef up California’s Highway Patrol around highly-trafficked shopping destinations during the holiday season, along Interstate 680 and state Highway 4 in the Bay Area, which has been the escape route for a number of shoplifters.
Even San Francisco District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, noted for releasing dangerous felons back onto the streets, echoed Newsom’S concern stating, “If you come to San Francisco and you commit crimes, there will be consequences.”
Like Newsom, Boudin is also facing a recall election next year following repeated criticisms of soft on crime policies.
“This has nothing to do with my policies and everything to do with the challenges we, as a country, are facing,” Boudin said.
Over the weekend about 80 ski masked looters descended like locusts on upscale retail giant Nordstrom, ransacking the entire store and sending both stunned holiday shoppers and store clerks scurrying for the exit.
One holiday shopper described the scene, liking it to “a scene out of the movies,” as looters dressed in black and wearing ski masks, armed with crowbars and weapons, smashed display jewelry cases.
“We probably saw 50 to 80 people in ski masks crowbars a bunch of weapons. They were looting the Nordstrom’s right here. And I thought they were going to start beating cars. I had to start locking doors, lock the front door, lock the back door,” local PF Chang’s manager Brett Barrette told local affiliate KGO News.
Several stores in California were targeted by looters and smash-and-grab thieves. Police say about 80 people were involved in the mass robbery. Three people were arrested at the scene pic.twitter.com/wIuK4E6hzY
— TRT World (@trtworld) November 23, 2021
Adding; “There was a mob of people. The police were flying in. It was like a scene out of a movie. It was insane.”
According to police, the incident began just before 9 p.m. Saturday night in Walnut Creek, which is about 25 miles from San Francisco. About 25 cars suddenly pulled up just outside of the Nordstrom store, as a mob of about 80 people exited the vehicles and rushed into the store, grabbing merchandise, smashing jewelry cases and fleeing.
Dozens of police responded to the incident. Eye witness accounts reported that the looters were brandishing crowbars, and in some instances, weapons. The looters smashed shelves, toppled cases and quickly filled carrying bags with merchandise before fleeing back into their cars and heading for the Interstate.
A quick inventory by Nordstrom revealed that between $100,000 to $200,000 in merchandise was looted within less than 5 minutes. The police announced that 3 individuals connected to the looting have been arrested.
Although shocking, this brazen act is simply an outgrowth of progressive policies in California, enacted by brain-dead Democratic lawmakers allowing young thugs to loot stores at will, declaring it a simple misdemeanor under a certain amount of money. Once you allow lawlessness, you invite additional lawlessness…it’s not rocket science.
This story syndicated with permission from My Patriot Post