Watch: Over 100 Masked Teens Loot Philly Stores; Arrests Made

Clusters of adolescents swarmed retail establishments in the heart of Philadelphia’s Center City, seizing goods and fleeing, although law enforcement made multiple apprehensions, as per authorities and eyewitness accounts.

At approximately 8 p.m. on Tuesday, an incident occurred at an Apple Store, prompting a pursuit by the police of the fleeing teenagers. The law enforcement statement revealed the recovery of discarded iPhones and a “heap of iPads” at one location.

NBC10 Philadelphia reported that over 100 individuals, seemingly teenagers, engaged in theft at a Lululemon store. This report was attributed to a police officer.

Social media posts featured videos depicting masked individuals donning hoodies, dashing out of Lululemon, and being apprehended by police officers who tackled them to the pavement, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

While no immediate injuries were reported, CBS Philadelphia noted an assault on a security guard at the Foot Locker.

The looting incident, executed in a flash mob style, followed an earlier peaceful protest stemming from a judge’s decision on Tuesday to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who fatally shot a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up car window.

However, several police commanders emphasized that the spate of thefts was unrelated to the earlier protests, according to CBS Philadelphia’s report.

Coincidentally, these thefts occurred on the same day that Target made an announcement about the closure of nine stores across four states, including one in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood and three in the San Francisco Bay Area. Target cited the pervasive threat of theft and organized retail crime, which has posed safety concerns for both its employees and customers as the reason for these closures.
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{Matzav.com}