WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Authorities and witnesses say about 80 people, some wearing ski masks and wielding crowbars, swarmed a department store in the San Francisco Bay Area, stealing merchandise before fleeing in dozens of cars.
Police say three people were arrested while the majority got away after the large-scale theft Saturday night at the Nordstrom in Walnut Creek.
The incident came a day after police said several high-end stores in San Francisco’s Union Square were broken into by a large group of people who smashed windows, stole merchandise, and then ran to waiting cars.
A TikTok video, posted below, shows the immediate aftermath when some 80 masked robbers armed with pepper spray and crowbars ransacked a Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, smashing and grabbing goods from shelves, employees and even customers Saturday, according to police.
Read the full AP story HERE.
As Northern California enters the holiday shopping season, personal and public safety experts say the increase of brazen robberies in Northern California is alarming and they are urging people to practice situational awareness.
Walnut Creek Police Department is urging nearby businesses to close early Sunday as they gathered intel that another organized robbery was in the works.
Investigators are working to determine if there is a link between the Nordstrom heist and another one from the night before, which targeted a Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco.
"There's no accountability for it anymore"
Some security experts believe that the rise in brazen robberies stems from no-chase store policies and changes in California laws intended to reduce costs of incarceration.
Shoplifting charges under $950 dollars are misdemeanors.
"I think what happens now is there's no accountability for it anymore, and, the liability for the stores, if they try to apprehend these guys, they just stand by and watch," said Steve Reed, former head of security at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento.
As frustrating as it is, security experts say not intervening is the safest thing anyone can do in a robbery situation.
"I cannot overstate the importance of doing that. Find a way to duck into a corner, get behind something and literally become spam, don't become part of the noise," said Hector Alvarez, a corporate security expert.
Alvarez says it's key to be aware of your surroundings and to have a plan in place when you're out with your family by designating a meeting spot, memorizing important phone numbers and knowing exit routes.
"If you haven't thought about your personal safety ahead of time, a lot of people get a deer in the headlights look and reaction and they freeze," Alvarez said.
Alvarez and Reed say, for everyday citizens, the most important thing is to stay safe if something like this ever happens and to be a good witness to help investigators track down the culprits.
READ MORE:
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more ABC10: Candlelight vigil held for 2 teenagers killed in Lodi