By LCCN Staff Report
Four people were arrested after an AutoZone in Downey was smashed into and ransacked early Monday morning, part of a string of break-ins at auto-related businesses across southeast Los Angeles County and surrounding areas that authorities are investigating in connection with illegal street takeovers.
The break-in occurred shortly before 4 a.m. at an AutoZone on Firestone Boulevard in Downey, according to an NBC4 report from the scene.
Thieves smashed through the storefront, leaving shattered glass and extensive damage inside the business. Workers had begun cleaning up the debris by early Monday morning.
A nearby Halloween store was also ransacked around the same time, according to the report.
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy said that four people had been arrested in connection with the Downey incident.
Investigators are continuing to search for others who may have participated.
The Downey break-in was part of a larger series of incidents reported across the region.
An AutoZone in Lynwood was also hit Sunday morning, while an auto-related business in East Los Angeles was reportedly targeted twice over the weekend. The businesses were left with smashed windows, damaged computer screens and destroyed merchandise.
It was reported that illegal street takeovers occurred before the smash-and-grab incidents, with as many as 100 people participating in at least one of the gatherings.
Authorities have long struggled with large street takeovers, which can draw dozens or even hundreds of vehicles and spectators to
intersections before dispersing quickly when law enforcement arrives.
Detectives are expected to review surveillance footage and social media posts as they work to identify additional suspects involved in the break-ins and related street takeover activity.
The investigation is continuing.