Los Angeles was rocked by scenes of destruction early Saturday as two illegal street takeovers spiraled into mayhem, leaving a vehicle engulfed in flames and an AutoZone ransacked of tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise.
The separate incidents unfolded just hours apart in East Los Angeles and the Gramercy Park area, once again raising questions about whether city leaders and law enforcement have been able to get a handle on the dangerous gatherings despite growing public frustration and resources being poured into stopping them.
One of the most dramatic scenes erupted near West Century Boulevard and South Western Avenue shortly before 5 a.m.
Los Angeles police said officers had responded to a large street takeover where crowds were allegedly setting off fireworks and vehicles were gathering in the intersection.
Officers dispersed the group, but shortly afterward a vehicle was left burning in the middle of the roadway.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said an engine responded to the auto fire at about 4:52 a.m. and extinguished the blaze.
Video from the scene showed flames consuming the vehicle as officers stood nearby. The pavement surrounding the wreck was covered in tire marks apparently left behind by drivers performing donuts and other stunts.
Police took a report involving the burned vehicle, but authorities did not immediately say whether anyone had been arrested.
It also remained unclear exactly how the vehicle caught fire.
Just a few hours earlier, another street takeover allegedly gave way to a brazen looting spree at an AutoZone in East Los Angeles.
The chaos unfolded at the store at 1131 S. Atlantic Blvd. at roughly 2:20 a.m., according to reports.
Spectators connected to the takeover are believed to have smashed their way into the business before tearing through the store.
Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded to the burglary.
Video captured afterward showed what looked like the aftermath of a free-for-all.
One of the AutoZone’s glass entrance doors had been shattered, leaving broken glass scattered across the walkway. Inside, shelves had been emptied and merchandise was strewn across the floor.
Car batteries, windshield washer fluid and other automotive products could be seen scattered throughout the store.
Even a spilled Modelo beer can was left behind in one aisle.
A video journalist at the scene reported that thieves made off with more than $50,000 worth of tools, batteries and other merchandise, along with three cash registers.
Authorities also reportedly came close to catching several people attempting to slip away with merchandise that had been left in an alley near the business.
Outside, the pavement was scarred with dozens of circular skid marks — another apparent reminder of the takeover that preceded the break-in.
The AutoZone was expected to remain closed following the destruction.
Authorities had not announced any arrests in connection with the looting as of Saturday.
The back-to-back incidents come as Los Angeles continues struggling with illegal street takeovers, gatherings that can draw massive crowds as drivers block intersections, spin their vehicles in circles and perform dangerous stunts.
Despite repeated crackdowns and millions of dollars in public resources devoted to policing the gatherings, the latest scenes suggest the problem is far from under control.
For residents and business owners caught in the middle, Saturday morning brought another ugly reminder of how quickly an illegal street spectacle can turn into outright lawlessness.
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This is another sign of the corrupt in government letting chaos prevail in our cities. Why people ask? Because the corrupt in government love chaos as in the end, it gives them reason and power to use military against them. This was not a random act. This was a preplanned act as these kinds of people don’t gather just out of the dark. It’s an orchestrate of the vent again to break down our society and destroy our culture. Why corrupt judges, and corrupt lawyers that I filled our courts with people who wanted to destroy America by letting these kinds of monsters out of jail, and they talk about insurrection by the left was peaceful, was orchestrated to create in the Vet against the right. This is what you call insurrection led by the judges who were lawyers and the corrupt trial lawyers that are out there which are many until we get a handle on these corrupt lawyers nothing will ever change. God bless America!