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Police say two security guards at a shopping plaza in downtown Los Angeles were injured during a shootout with a man as they tried to stop him from making off with more than $1,000 in stolen merchandise.
LOS ANGELES – Two security guards at a downtown Los Angeles shopping plaza were injured in a shootout with a man as they tried to stop him from making off with more than $1,000 in stolen goods, police said Tuesday.
The security guards confronted the man as he left a Target store in the FIGat7th outdoor shopping center Monday evening. The suspect fired at least five bullets and one of the guards also fired, Los Angeles police Capt. Raul Jovel said at a news conference. The man fled, sparking a chase that ended hours later, with police saying a suspect was arrested.
“We are really lucky that no one was killed in this incident,” Jovel said.
The arrest of the man accused of wounding the guards followed an hours-long standoff at an apartment in Westlake, California, on Tuesday. NBC Los Angeles reported.
The shooting ends a year of California voters voting showed their frustration with shoplifting and other crime, while the perception is allowed to go unchecked. A ballot measure that made shoplifting a misdemeanor for repeat offenders passed easily, reversing a law passed by voters a decade ago that downgraded theft of less than $950 to a misdemeanor. A lack of local data makes it difficult to quantify how bad the problem is, but viral videos earlier this year showed hordes of people storming into large stores and shoplifting en masse. Voters also ousted several progressive prosecutors.
In Los Angeles, Jovel said the man had packed more than $1,000 worth of merchandise in his bag, including stationery and clothing. Jovel had asked the public to report any information about the suspect to police, warning that he was considered dangerous.
Jovel said one of the security guards was a loss prevention officer for Target and the other was an armed security officer for the mall.
Judith Conway told it KABC TV she was in the Target store when the shots rang out, sending shoppers running through the aisles screaming and crying.
“We heard several rounds go off, and we pretty much ran to the back and just left our stuff in the cart, and just tried to do our best to get to safety,” Conway said.
There were no immediate reports of shoppers being injured in the incident.