Shocking vandalism rampage in downtown L.A. sparks outrage as LAPD seeks suspects
City leaders are checking surveillance footage and looking for clues into the identities of members of an unruly mob that vandalized buildings and assaulted police officers over the weekend in downtown Los Angeles.
On Saturday night, more than 1,000 people were drawn to an illegal party that was promoted online, according to a statement from Mayor Karen Bass' office. The crowd then descended onto Washington Boulevard and Maple Avenue after midnight, where some tagged storefronts and a passing A Line train.
At one point, members of the crowd posed for selfies with a tagged Los Angeles Police Department cruiser and the Metro train that was stuck on the tracks, footage from news service OnScene.TV showed.
Bass condemned the behavior in a statement Monday.
"It is unacceptable under any and all circumstances," the mayor said during a Memorial Day event in Boyle Heights. "And those people who perpetrated this have to be held accountable to the full extent of the law."
A special unit with the LAPD's Newton Division that monitors illegal types of events became aware of the party and notified the Los Angeles Fire Department's fire marshal. Officers from multiple bureaus responded to downtown for support as the crowd spilled into the streets, but they were overwhelmed and some officers were assaulted over the next three hours, authorities said.
One officer was hit in the face with a bottle and required medical attention, the mayor's office said. Video showed dozens of LAPD officers in riot gear across the street from the party crowd, carrying weapons that fire nonlethal rounds for crowd control.
The crowd was eventually dispersed but no arrests have been made. Police said they are reviewing camera footage from the area to try and identify suspects.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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