A group of robbers recently had their smash-and-grab attempt foiled by Marine recruiters. The incident occurred on Dec. 20 at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, close to a military recruitment center.
When Marine recruiters heard a robbery was going on in a Torrance mall, they jumped in to stop two of the suspects, and were able to hold them until police arrived. https://t.co/7SX3nokUgR
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) December 28, 2022
Torrance police reported that four people dressed in hoodies and masks broke into a jewelry store in the mall and smashed the glass of the display cases with hammers. They grabbed as much merchandise as they could and attempted to exit the mall, per authorities.
However, Marine recruiters ruined their escape plan with the help of other bystanders, catching two of the suspects and holding them down till the arrival of police. The other two managed to get away.
Two of the suspects that got detained are minors, according to a police report that further revealed that they recovered a “large amount” of jewelry snatched from the store at the scene.
Torrance police gave credit to the heroes of the day in a Facebook post that thanked the recruits. “Great work to all involved including Marine Corps Recruiting South Bay!” the post reads.
An onlooker who made a recording of the robbery with his cellphone also confirmed that the Marine recruits were responsible for the takedown. “[It was] the Marines. The Marine Corps… They stepped up, they tackled them down,” said the man, who only identified himself as Ralph.
Ralph, who said he was at the mall that afternoon to do some last-minute Christmas shopping with his wife, added that even though two got away, the recruits did a good job.
“Two got away, two got tackled down, and they stepped it up. That’s enough. Time to fight back,” he stated.
Ralph went on to point out the increase in such crimes in the area. To him, this is a time to push back on the menace of robbery.
“It’s getting wild in the streets now. It’s about time, to fight back, enough’s enough. A lot of stores are closing down just for this, the smash and grab,” he concluded.
Torrance has not been the only city in California to experience smash-and-grab incidents in recent times. Another happened at a jewelry store in Glendale on July 8. In a similar fashion, the suspect smashed the display case with a hammer and carted away several pieces of jewelry.
