Horde Of 80 Teens Terrorize LA Grocery Store Customers And Employees

LOS ANGELES, CA — Police in Los Angeles are looking for members of a teen horde that invaded a Los Angeles grocery story, terrorizing customers and employees, alike.

The April 19 incident at a Ralphs grocery store near USC involved nearly 100 juveniles, pepper spray and an ice cream-based attack, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. It's an escalation of a series of youth-mob business invasions that have frequently overwhelmed Los Angeles area convenience stores over the last year.

Police received a report of 80-90 youths on bikes invading the grocery store on the 2600 block of Vermont Avenue, said LAPD Officer David Cuellar.

Typically, the melee starts with teens throwing items in the store, overwhelming staff and frequently stealing items on their way out, Cuellar said. In the April 19 incident, teens released pepper spray throughout the store, and police took a battery report from a victim struck in the head with a "bag of ice cream," Cuellar said.

In many of the mob invasions, charges end up spanning from assault and battery to grand theft, added Cuellar.

One customer, who was in the store when the mob arrived, told KTLA the youths followed him and his husband to the parking lot, surrounded their car and hurled items and homophobic slurs at them.

“There was so much pepper spray in the air that everyone in the store was coughing, sneezing, hiding their face under their shirt.”

Once they made it to their car, it was surrounded by youths. He said the couple felt trapped as the situation became terrifying.

“Saying things like, ‘You guys gay?’ Homophobic slurs, hitting the car, throwing bottles,” Benson told KTLA. “I understand that they’re children, but these are really scary things, and we can’t just decide that it’s not happening.”

The problem first caught widespread attention last summer when mobs of youths ransacked three 7-11 stores less than 20 minutes apart.

After that, the number of incidents exploded to include youth mob robberies at:

• 1234 Wilshire Blvd. — 7:50 p.m. July 12
• 610 S. Rampart Blvd. — 6:22 p.m. July 19
• 3100 Beverly Blvd. — 6:30 p.m. July 19
• 1770 N. Highland Ave. — 7 p.m. July 19
• 6077 W. 3rd St. — 7:45 p.m. July 19
• 1234 Wilshire Blvd. — 6:28 p.m. Aug. 2
• 5600 San Vicente Blvd. — 6:50 p.m. Aug. 9
• 8500 W. Olympic Blvd. — 7:50 p.m. Aug. 9
• 3100 Beverly Blvd. — 6:40 p.m. Aug. 16
• 1770 N. Highland Ave. — 7:40 p.m. Aug. 16
• 7040 W. Sunset Blvd. — 8 p.m. Aug. 16
• 5700 Santa Monica Blvd. — 8:15 p.m. Aug. 16
• 1451 S. La Cienega Blvd. — Sept. 20
• 8500 Olympic Blvd. — 7:15 p.m. Sept. 20

The mobs caused widespread outcry even extending to the families of the kids involved. In October, several parents turned in their own children after see their baby-faced scofflaws on security footage released by the LAPD.

SEE ALSO: Parents Turn In Their Own Kids In 7-Eleven Flash Mob Robberies

Click here for the full KTLA story.