Surveillance footage captures the chaotic scene as dozens of suspects ransacked a gas station mini-mart near the Oakland airport, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage and leaving two employees shaken.
Dozens of brazen thieves, operating as a swift and destructive flash mob, ransacked a gas station mini-mart near the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, on Friday morning, leaving the store in a state of disarray and causing an estimated $100,000 in damage.
Shocking surveillance video, obtained by local news outlets, documents the chaotic scene as the suspects stormed into the 76 Gas Station & Mini Market on Hegenberger Road around 4 a.m. The footage shows a large group of people, many of them masked, tearing through the store, grabbing merchandise and causing widespread destruction.
Shocking Ransacking of Bay Area Mini-Mart by Flash Mob of Thieves
Refrigerated sections and shelves were raided, with items tossed about and smashed. Shopping baskets were overflowing with stolen goods as the suspects ransacked the store with alarming speed and audacity.
Sam Mardaie, the owner of the mini-mart, told FOX 2 that the thieves threatened two employees who were working at the time. Mardaie expressed his devastation over the incident, saying, "This is the hardest thing you could ever go through ... especially if you've been put in sweat and tears day in and day out."
Shocking Ransacking of Bay Area Mini-Mart by Flash Mob of Thieves
Mardaie also criticized the police response, claiming it took "nine hours" for officers to arrive at the scene after the crime was initially classified as priority two, indicating the absence of suspects at the location.
However, Oakland Police later clarified to FOX 2 that officers responded within 90 minutes of the burglary after viewing the surveillance video. Fox News Digital has reached out to police for further comment.
Shocking Ransacking of Bay Area Mini-Mart by Flash Mob of Thieves
According to Mardaie, there were approximately 70 suspects involved in the ransacking, whom he believes were linked to an illegal sideshow gathering nearby. The mini-mart was reportedly operating on a window-only business basis at the time of the incident.
"They got away with it. They were here for 40 minutes. You could tear a whole city down in 40 minutes," Mardaie lamented to KNTV-TV. "Every time I think about it, the more it hurts."
Shocking Ransacking of Bay Area Mini-Mart by Flash Mob of Thieves
The incident has sparked concerns over the growing trend of flash mob robberies targeting retail businesses in the Bay Area. Authorities are investigating the incident and urging anyone with information to come forward.
