Burglars slam car into shoe store in South LA smash-and-grab theft caught on video

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Several burglars on Thursday were involved in a dramatic smash-and-grab theft in which a car slammed into the front entrance of a South Los Angeles shoe store.

Officers responded to the dramatic break-in, which was captured on surveillance video, at 3:17 a.m. after an alarm was triggered at Rich LA Clothing & Snkrs, located near the intersection of Century Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue in Gramercy Park.

The footage shows a white sedan crashing into the front floor-to-ceiling window and security gate, before the group of suspects run into the store and ransack it.

The store is owned by two brothers, one of whom showed up as soon as he saw what was happening on the security cameras. When he got there, the suspects were still inside the store.

"I had to drive here. I had to wait for the cops," said Saleh Elshehawy. "I was waiting outside. I was waiting for them to be done. I'm not gonna go in."

He says says roughly $20,000 worth of merchandise, which includes expensive designer clothing and shoes, was stolen.

Friends and family members showed up to the scene hours later and were seen sweeping up shattered glass and cleaning up the storefront.

The Los Angeles Police Department said they are now looking for 4-5 suspects who fled the scene in a blue sedan.