A Masked Mob of 80 Swarm a Nordstrom Store: ‘It Was Like a Scene Out Of a Movie’

Dozens of looters descended onto a Nordstrom location in downtown Walnut Creek, California Saturday night, ransacking the store and terrorizing shoppers.

As reported by KPIX 5, Walnut Creek Lt. Ryan Hibbs told the outlet that around 80 people swarmed the Nordstrom store starting at 9 p.m.

One witness at a nearby P. F. Chang’s told the outlet that a massive mob of people wearing ski masks and wielding “crowbars and a bunch of weapons” surged into the Nordstrom’s and caused him to panic. “The police were flying in. It was like a scene out of a movie. It was insane,” he said. “I had to start locking the front door, locking the back door. You never know, they could come right in here. It was crazy…All the guests inside were getting concerned. It was a scary scene for a moment.” 

Hibbs explained that officers stopped one vehicle after the robbers dispersed and arrested a male and female suspect, charging them both with robbery, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary, and possession of burglary tools. The female suspect was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. A third suspect was also caught on foot and arrested. He was charged with robbery, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of burglary tools.

The incident comes 24 hours after another group of looters vandalized a Louis Vutton store in San Francisco‘s Union Square, resulting in six arrests. The two incidents at this moment don’t seem to be connected.