Dozens of people ransacked a gas station mini-mart near Oakland International Airport on the San Francisco Bay in Oakland, California, early Friday morning, destroying the store.
Shocking CCTV footage shows the suspects tearing up the store in a flash mob, rummaging through refrigerated sections and shelves, smashing items and filling shopping baskets with stolen goods.
Sam Mardaie, owner of the Gas Station and Mini Market at 76 Hegenberger Road, told FOX 2 the thieves caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the store and threatened two employees who were working at the time.
Los Angeles ‘flash mob’ robberies plague puts police in trouble
Sam Mardaie, owner of the gas station and mini-market at 76 Hegenberger Road, told Fox 2 the thieves caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the store and threatened two employees who were working at the time. (KTV University)
“It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever go through … especially if you’re sweating and crying day in and day out,” Madai told Fox 2.
He also told the news station that it took police “nine hours” to respond after the crime was first classified as a second priority incident, meaning there were no suspects at the location.
Gold worth $20 million stolen from Canadian airport may have been stolen overseas, police say
Shocking surveillance video shows dozens of suspects tearing apart the store as they rummaged through refrigerated sections and shelves, smashed items and filled shopping baskets with the loot. (KTV University)
Oakland police told FOX 2 that after the 4 a.m. break-in, officers responded within 90 minutes of reviewing surveillance video. Fox News Digital has reached out to police for comment.
“They got away with it. They were here for 40 minutes. You can destroy an entire city in 40 minutes,” Mardai told KNTV-TV. “Every time I think about this, I feel even more heartbroken.”
Station 76 is located near Auckland Airport. (Google Maps)
Click here to get the Fox News app
Mardaie estimated that about 70 suspects, linked to illegal sideshow parties nearby, broke into the small supermarket while it was doing window-only business.
