Compton Mexican bakery reopens after mob of looters ransacked business
COMPTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A Mexican bakery in Compton reopened Friday after a mob of looters broke into the business, leaving the store nearly destroyed.
On Tuesday, the large group broke into Ruben's Bakery & Mexican Food near the intersection of El Segundo Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue.
According to the Compton Sheriff's Station, it stemmed from a street takeover in the area with about 100 people.
Video obtained by Eyewitness News shows a group of what appears to be young men and women raiding the store, jumping on counters, stealing food and taking cash registers. Investigators said the group even used a white Kia Soul to crash into the building.
"When I got the call from the alarm company, I just figured somebody broke a door, or broke a window, or someone tried to break in," recalled Ruben Ramirez Jr., whose family owns the business. "Then when we got here, we saw that the car had smashed through the [door] ... it was just anger. It was just upsetting."
The Ramirez family has been running the bakery and meat market in Compton for more than 48 years. Ramirez said the group of looters left the store with thousands of dollars' worth of damage.
Ramirez said his father, who's recovering from back surgery, was upset to hear the news as well.
"Seeing my dad sad made me sad, but seeing the community come together and help us out and offering to help us clean up, it was really great," he said.
The sheriff's department said the group took off when deputies arrived at the scene. No arrests have been made but LASD said it's possible a few people may have been detained in connection with the street takeover.
Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.
