7 businesses burglarized during street takeovers in 2 L.A. County communities 

More than half a dozen businesses were burglarized during street takeovers in Bellflower and Lakewood overnight, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department says.  

It was around 1:50 a.m. Saturday when deputies received reports of a street takeover involving a large crowd at the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Woodruff Avenue, an LASD spokesperson confirmed. The calls also indicated burglaries were in progress. 

Video obtained by KTLA shows skid marks in the intersection and evidence of burglaries at three locations:

• Arco ampm store located at 10201 Artesia Boulevard
• Heavenly Beauty Supply located at 17510 Woodruff Avenue
• Star Smog & Alignment House located next door to Heavenly Beauty Supply

All of the stores are located on the same corner. According to deputies at the scene, one store clerk was treated at the scene for unspecified injuries and declined medical transport.

Shattered glass front doors and merchandise were seen scattered at both the beauty supply and adjacent auto repair shop. Merchandise was also strewn about the convenience store, and it appeared that an ATM within the store was broken into, although it is not known if any money was taken from it.

Per the LASD spokesperson, a separate call regarding a takeover in the nearby community of Lakewood came in around ten minutes later. This incident was reported at Del Amo and Paramount boulevards, about four-and-a-half miles away from the Bellflower takeover.

The spokesperson confirmed that at least four businesses at the Color Corner Shopping Center were broken into:

• Metro by T-Mobile located at 4834 Paramount Boulevard
• Color Nails located at 4830 Paramount Boulevard
• Napa Auto Parts located at 2716 Del Amo Boulevard
• L.A. Cash Advance located at 2712 Del Amo Boulevard

Authorities could not specify what, if anything, was taken in both takeover-turned-burglary incidents. Additionally, it is not known if they are related in any way.

A contractor dispatched to help clean up the mess left by the crowd in Lakewood told KTLA that, while his business is dedicated to helping the community, he “hates” seeing other establishments boarded up as a local resident with a family.

“I received a call this morning to come and handle the businesses that got broken into and board them up,” said Justin Wilson of Wilson Glass & Screen. “Our business is built around helping these businesses, but as a community member, I do hate driving around with my family and seeing all the boarded up businesses [all over] this area.”

Wilson urged those who engage in illegal and destructive activities like street takeovers and burglaries to instead “live as a cohesive community.”

“It makes me feel sad to see how our community just not taken care of by its members like it once was,” he said. “I would hope that, at least, the business owners help each other out in this time of need.”

“I just hope that community members would just try to live as a cohesive community instead of having…I don’t know how to put it…so much conflict,” he continued. “Please stop doing this to our community. All of us live and work around here, and we don’t like to see our businesses and communities boarded up.”

It is unclear if any arrests were made in connection to either incident.

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