Over 100 masked 'teens' ransack Philadelphia stores, arrests are made, police say

Channel 3000 News/AP ^ | September 27, 2023 | AP Staff

[Diana in Wisconsin]

PHILADELPHIA — Groups of teenagers swarmed into stores in Philadelphia's Center City, stuffing plastic bags with merchandise and fleeing, although police made several arrests, authorities and witnesses said.

An Apple Store was hit at around 8 p.m. Tuesday and police chased fleeing teenagers, recovering dropped iPhones and a "pile of iPads" at one spot, a police statement said.

More than 100 people who appeared to be teenagers stole from a Lululemon store, NBC10 Philadelphia reported, citing a police officer.

Video posted on social media showed masked people in hoodies running out of Lululemon and police officers grabbing several and tackling them to the sidewalk, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

No injuries were immediately reported but CBS Philadelphia said a security guard was assaulted at the Foot Locker.

The flash mob-style ransacking followed an earlier peaceful protest over a judge's Tuesday decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver, Eddie Irizarry, through a rolled-up window.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"The thefts also occurred on the same day that Target announced it will close nine stores in four states, including one in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood, and three in the San Francisco Bay Area, saying that theft and organized retail crime have threatened the safety of its workers and customers."

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Cell Phones need to be licensed like guns.

[albie]

“Uh oh. We made a mistake Charlie. These are impoverished African American children. We’d better let em go”.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Strangely, the Red Wing Shoe Store was untouched.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Being a lawless third world craphole is a lot better “built better” craphole than one with laws and law enforcement. If you don’t arrest anybody, the crime rate goes down.

[pepsi_junkie]

Center city is the tourist district. When the stores are all shut down and covered with plywood or the ones that are open all have bars on the doors and windows and bulletproof glass for the workers to hide behind I suppose it will affect tourism a little.

Amazing how badly democrats can ruin an entire string of cities nationwide in less than five years with a coordinated braindead policy of being beyond soft on crime by just ignoring it.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Whenever you hear the word teens you just know the perps are black but the commie media is so terrified to say the race of these perps out of fear of being called racist it’s why they can do whatever they want and get away with it

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Work boots/clothes are for Suckers! ;)

[Organic Panic]

Redwing and the Books A Million next door were untouched.

[Gnome1949]

If they start shooting these looters on sight, the problem ends. No trials. No courts.

[Tupelo]

Tribalism
From “out of many to one to out one to many” in on generation.

[No name given]

Just more children of Obeyme.

[chuckee]

Poor yutes must be starving for bread if AOC is to be believed

[vivenne]

The conclusion is the perps don’t read.

[Sooth2222]

The stolen iPhones aren't going to work if removed from the Apple Store... except to track the thieves.

Product theft isn't a new concept for Apple.

But that Apple is at least one step ahead of them IS a new concept for the Philadelphia scholars.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Quite true. It’s interesting that they say that they appeared to be teenagers, but they don’t give us any other characteristics of this group of people.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Librarians everywhere were relieved, too.

[Sooth2222]

I’m guessing that Lululemon’s and Foot Locker’s markup over the manufacturing cost is wide enough to easily cover thefts. The Philadelphia rexidents who actually shop at the center-city stores will pay for the thefts. (And probably more.)

[SpaceBar]

“Teens”. Our media is garbage.

[ConservativeInPA]

Teens = illiterate negroes.

Shoplifting is no different than looting during business hours. Looters should be shot.