Downtown Los Angeles is known for its wild street takeovers where crowds block the street for donuts, bonfires and more. But over the weekend, the confiscation took place when a riot broke out in an apartment building near the Crypto.com Arena, with windows smashed and at least one person taken to the hospital, authorities said.
On Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass announced that the Los Angeles Police Department will be deploying patrol cars, horses, pedestrians and undercover units to the downtown LA area in response to the incident.
“Here’s a message to anyone who thinks they might come downtown to cause trouble: The LAPD will be downtown in force to arrest you,” Bass said in a statement. “What’s happening at Circa LA Apartments is disgusting. And we have zero tolerance for street robbery.”
Los Angeles police responded to a robbery call on the highway near Circa LA Apartments at 3:12 a.m. Sunday and took reports of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and vandalism, according to a department spokeswoman. At least one person was arrested and one victim was taken to hospital, the spokesman said.
Video footage of the incident shows people rushing into the lobby, throwing punches and shoving a man in a suit who appears to be working at the mall. A person wearing a black hoodie and mask can be shown repeatedly swinging metal fences around the glass windows of the lobby until they shatter while people in the crowd outside scream and record noise.
The group inside the building broke the furniture and at least one person was seen stealing a package before the sirens sounded and people ran back outside.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell on Tuesday called the incident “very disturbing” and said the concerns raised by residents and businesses are “well-founded.” McDonnell said the department is increasing visibility, strengthening law enforcement and expanding partnerships to curb crime in the area and hold offenders accountable.
Bass said he will not let street food and crime derail ongoing efforts to revitalize the city, including a $2.6-billion expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center in preparation for the LA28 Olympics. Downtown LA will be the central arena for the Games, hosting events at the Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena and the Peacock Theatre.
Nella McOsker, president and CEO of the Central City Assn., emphasized in a statement Tuesday the huge role downtown LA plays in the city’s economy and the importance of making sure it feels safe and welcome. He noted that the area has 400,000 day laborers, hosts 18 million visitors a year and generates a third of the city’s important tax revenue.
“Targeted public safety investments like this,” he said, “help breathe life into our city’s budget and the greater Los Angeles economy.”
