Philly police make several arrests after juvenile looters targeting Apple store, Lululemon
The Philadelphia Police Department responding to a series of looting incidents Tuesday night, making several arrests as culprits destroyed and ransacked a shopping center and other areas across the city. Credit: WTXF
Philadelphia police responded to popular retailers like the Apple Store, Lululemon and Footlocker after they were allegedly being ravaged by swarms of looters taking over the City of Brotherly Love Tuesday evening.
At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to reports of large crowds of juveniles allegedly looting stores in the Center City business corridor of the 9th District.
"In a proactive measure, officers from the 9th District stopped a group of males dressed in black attire and wearing masks at the intersection of 17th and Chestnut Streets," a police spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Philadelphia police responded to Center City for widespread reports of looting. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
A T-Mobile store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was destroyed in a smash-and-grab robbery on Tuesday night. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
As of midnight on Wednesday, police confirmed between 15 and 20 people were arrested during the looting and at least two firearms were recovered.
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As officers were speaking with these individuals, they began to receive reports of looting at the Foot Locker on Chestnut Street.
Responding officers arrived at the Foot Locker and discovered the store had been ransacked in a "coordinated attack," according to the statement. A number of juveniles then fled the scene and at least one adult was arrested.
Philadelphia police attempt to control large crowds of juveniles who were caught looting stores in Center City, Philadelphia on Tuesday. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
Subsequent incidents of looting were reported in quick succession.
Officers responded to a report of looting at the Lululemon on Walnut Street, where multiple individuals were apprehended.
A short time later, looting was reported at the Apple Store on Walnut Street. No arrests were made in connection with this incident. Phones and tablets were taken from the store, but several stolen items have since been recovered.
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Videos posted to X, formerly Twitter, showed retail stores like Lululemon, the Apple Store and Footlocker ravaged by crowds of looters.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley obtained video of a ransacked Apple Store with iPhones and iPads scattered across the display tables. Keeley wrote on X that many of the stolen Apple products were left behind due to the device's comprehensive anti-theft technology.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley reports anti-theft technology rendered the stolen devices useless once they were removed from the store. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
A police officer told local outlet WCAU-TV that more than 100 juveniles took items from the Lululemon store. No injuries were immediately reported, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Police also responded to several other reports of property damage and thefts throughout the city.
"The Philadelphia Police Department is committed to maintaining public safety and order," police said in the statement Wednesday morning. "We are actively investigating these incidents and working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for these unlawful acts. We appreciate the cooperation of our community and urge anyone with information related to these incidents to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigations."
The statement continued: "We would like to thank our dedicated officers who swiftly responded to these incidents, as well as our community members who continue to support law enforcement efforts to keep Philadelphia safe."
The looting came following a Philadelphia judge dismissed charges against former police officer Mark Dial in the shooting death of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. Interim Commissioner John Stanford said in a press conference that the thieves were not part of the peaceful protest against the judge's decision.
"This had nothing to do with the protests," Stanford said. "What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a situation to make an attempt to destroy our city."
What we had tonight was a bunch of criminal opportunists take advantage of a situation to make an attempt to destroy our city.
A T-Mobile store was ransacked by thieves on Tuesday night. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
The news comes as Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw resigned in the beginning of September.
Crime data from the Philadelphia Police Department shows there has been a 21% drop in homicides this year to date compared to the same day in 2021, when the city recorded 562 homicides throughout the year. But prior to Outlaw leading the department, the data shows Philadelphia annually recorded between 246 to 391 homicides each year between 2007 and 2019.
In 2020, when she took over, there were 499 homicides, followed by 562 in 2021 and 516 in 2022.
Meanwhile in California….
In August, a Nordstrom store was ransacked by a "flash mob" of more than 30 people in a large smash-and-grab. The thieves made out with nearly $100,000 worth of designer handbags and clothes.
Similarly to Philadelphia, video captured shows a group of 30 to 50 people wearing sweatshirts with hoods over their heads.
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The suspects are seen inside the department store as they rush to the front entrance with bags in hand, scooping up whatever merchandise they can while tripping on racks to which some items were still attached.
Police estimate the stolen merchandise to be worth between $60,000 and $100,000.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.
