Rapper 50 Cent doubled down is his belief that “LA is finished” over surging crime, following multiple mob-style robberies at high end retail stores.
“I told you LA was finished. they are gonna have to lock the doors, appointment only. SMH (shaking my head),” he posted on Instagram Sunday.
He shared a screen shot from the chaotic scene that showed dozens of people fleeing from an the Westfield Topanga Mall’s Nordstrom store after ransacking designer goods.
A “flash mob” of around 50 well organized thieves dressed in hoodies and masks hit the luxury store at 4PM on Saturday.
🚨🚨🚨 Flash Mob Robbery at Westfield Topanga Mall in Los Angeles
On Saturday, August 12, 2023, a large group of thieves stormed the Nordstrom store at the Westfield Topanga mall in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, and stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in a matter of… pic.twitter.com/6tEAvCpgwQ
— Daily Baloney (@dailybaloney) August 13, 2023
They attacked security guards with bear spray, smashed display cases, and destroyed mannequins, as they quickly snatched as many designer bags as they could carry while employees stood by watching.
After stealing between $60,000 and $100,000 worth of merchandise, they fled in a group of cars that included a Lexus and BMW.
An almost identical theft took place 20 miles West of the mall last Tuesday, when a group of nearly 40 similarly dressed people descended on a Yves Saint Laurent store.
Glendale in Los Angeles County
A group of about 30 thieves stole about $300,000 in merchandise from the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand shopping center on Tuesday afternoon.
See https://t.co/GRNwU48MFB pic.twitter.com/gt0PFD69BU
— Crime in NYC (@CrimeInNYC) August 10, 2023
The brazen group stripped the luxury retailer of nearly $300,000 in stolen goods, before fleeing in around 20 different cars.
Billionaire Rick Caruso, who ran for Los Angeles mayor on an anti-crime campaign, but was defeated by current LA Mayor Karen Bass in 2022, owns the mall that the flash mob hit.
The company is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects involved.
“Our company’s top priority is to maintain a safe and family-friendly environment across all of our properties, and we will not tolerate any criminal activity,” a company spokesperson said.
This isn’t the first time 50 Cent commented on the out of control crime rate in Los Angeles, he went viral in July for commenting on the county’s zero bail policy.
Under the controversial get-out-of-jail-free bail system, police no longer detain criminals who have been accused of committing misdemeanor crimes.
Additionally, people that had been previously charged and incarcerated for the same crimes are being released from prison.
“LA is finished watch how bad it gets out there,” the “Power” star wrote on Instagram.
Fellow rapper YG, disagreed with the “Candy Shop” singer’s take on Los Angeles. “We ain’t finished. We just getting started,” he replied in the comments.
A smash-and-grab mob grabbed tens of thousands of dollars worth of designer handbags from a high-end retailer in Los Angeles. The account that posted it on Instagram said it was Nordstrom. This is becoming an almost everyday instance. pic.twitter.com/pHVzM8DCPu
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 11, 2023
While another follower hilariously remarked, “Leave them alone. They identify as law abiding citizens.”
A less violent, but still disruptive flash mob broke out at a Los Angeles area Target recently, when aspiring pop singer Baby Storme tried to film an impromptu music video in the store.
In the video, which she shared on YouTube, around a dozen women dressed in goth-like clothing danced down an aisle to her single, “This City Is A Graveyard,” but were blocked by burly Target security guards.
Singer Baby Storme causes disturbance in Target by filming music video then wrongfully calls employee racist for trying to stop her. Even Tristan Tate chimed in on the matter. pic.twitter.com/gAlr2kbxN3
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) August 15, 2023
She accused an employee, who could be heard saying on camera that “we’re going to have to call the cops on you guys,” of being “racist” for refusing to let them invade the store.
“I was so excited for us to film a quick flash mob at Target,” Baby Storme wrote in the video’s caption.
“But before we even walked through the door, this employee called the police on us for being on the property,” she continued.
Storme recalled that her crew was told they couldn’t film at first, but when they stopped rolling, he kicked them out of the story anyway, because the group was a “safety violation.”
The singer, claimed she “tried to keep it together,” but could only focus on “the beautiful brown faces” she assembled to film illegally at the location.
“That were able to stand in solidarity today,” she concluded. “This is everything I stand for.”
Commenters on the video left scathing responses to her allegations against the employees.
“It’s not racist to call the police on you for getting in people’s way in a damn store,” someone wrote. “So obvious you want publicity from this.”
“I love how this is going viral NOT because of racism, but because of your incredible sense of entitlement,” another added.