A chaotic scene unfolded in Long Beach when a street takeover led to the ransacking of J & G Market on the corner of Orange Avenue and Harding Street. As reported by KTLA 5, the incident began around 1 a.m. Monday with vehicles performing stunts such as donuts, while a crowd grew noticeably restless. The store was subsequently looted with broken glass and scattered merchandise, marking the aftermath.
According to NBC4, two women from the area claimed that these events have been a near-weekly occurrence for months but this incident was the first where the crowd turned to looting. A bystander, Marty Johnson, told the same source that the number of people involved often impedes police intervention, stating, "They block all the traffic, and when they [do that], the people down here can't get through."
The looters, several wearing hoods and masks, were seen forcibly entering J & G Market and taking items such as beer and snacks. A family-owned business, J & G Market has been left to contend with the havoc wreaked upon them by this lawlessness. "This is our neighborhood. When they do the riots and all that, we still have to live here," Christy Myles, another witness, expressed in frustration to NBC4.
While the event was reportedly contained shortly after police arrival, the aftermath left residents and business owners shaken. "It's so loud and it is screeching. They should be able to hear it at the police department; they should already be here," said Long Beach resident Christy Miles in an interview with CBS Los Angeles. It is unknown at this time if the authorities have made any arrests, or if there were injuries incurred during the incident.
Local authorities, including the Long Beach Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, are now investigating the series of events. The specifics regarding any potential arrests, or the exact losses sustained by J & G Market remain unclear, as indicated by information from the Long Beach Police Department. Community reactions suggest mounting frustration over a perceived lack of preemptive actions taken to curb the recurrence of such disturbances.
