A coordinated group of masked thieves completely ransacked a Los Angeles County convenience store in under one minute during an illegal street takeover early Monday morning, the latest in a surge of brazen smash-and-grab crimes plaguing Southern California businesses.

Sledgehammer Attack Caught on Camera

Atlas Fuel in Bellflower was hit around 2:45 a.m. Monday as vehicles blocked Artesia Boulevard and surrounding intersections during a street takeover. Surveillance footage shows two hooded individuals with covered faces approaching the store entrance, one wielding a sledgehammer to shatter the glass door. The lone worker attempted to defend the store with a dustpan and broom, briefly deterring the initial attackers before dozens of thieves swarmed inside within minutes.

The employee retreated behind a bulletproof partition, closing it just as a masked attacker reached for the register. The mob stripped the store of snacks, drinks, candy and attempted to steal the ATM machine. The store owner, who requested anonymity, told ABC News the entire raid lasted between 30 seconds and one minute. The thieves vandalized everything they could not carry before fleeing.

Fourth Major Robbery in Two Weeks

This attack marks the fourth significant retail theft linked to illegal street takeovers in the Los Angeles area since mid-August. Around 20 thieves ransacked a Superior Grocers in South Los Angeles early Sunday near Manchester Avenue and San Pedro Street during another street takeover at approximately 4:30 a.m. Later Sunday night, masked burglars hit two businesses during separate takeovers, including Lorena Pharmacy in Boyle Heights around 11 p.m. and a Jack in the Box near South Downey Road 15 minutes later.

Footage from the Jack in the Box incident captured suspects using a saw to cut through the entrance before escaping with baskets of stolen merchandise. Less than two weeks earlier, thieves looted the family-owned A-Z Market in Bellflower, causing nearly $30,000 in combined theft and property damage according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Images from that robbery showed completely emptied drawers, stripped shelves and scattered merchandise throughout the business.

Pattern of Organized Retail Crime

The coordinated nature of these attacks reveals an escalating pattern where criminal groups exploit illegal street takeovers to create chaos while ransacking nearby businesses. The takeovers block law enforcement response by filling streets and intersections with vehicles, giving thieves precious minutes to operate. Store owners face mounting losses from both stolen inventory and extensive property damage, with many now questioning whether they can continue operating under these conditions. The Los Angeles Police Department has not announced arrests in connection with Monday’s Bellflower robbery.