"This has got to stop": Looters ransack Sacramento County 7-Eleven after sideshow
RIO LINDA - A 7-Eleven in Sacramento County was looted by dozens of people Sunday after a nearby sideshow.
It happened at around 11:30 p.m. at the 7-Eleven near Elkhorn and Rio Linda Boulevards in Rio Linda. That is where people said the sideshow was happening.
The business still had boarded-up windows and shattered glass on Tuesday, but it opened the morning after the looting despite the damage.
Sergeant Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded within five minutes of getting the call, but by the time they got there, the looters were gone.
Videos circulating on social media show what Sgt. Gandhi said were 40 to 50 people in hoodies and masks breaking into the store.
"It just infuriates me that these outsiders come in and do this destruction," said Anna Marie Tomlinson, who lives in Rio Linda.
Sgt. Gandhi said the looters did thousands of dollars worth of damages and stole thousands of dollars worth of items but likely will not be serving jail time.
"Realistically, the most they are going to get is a ticket," said Sgt. Gandhi.
That is because Sgt. Gandhi said California categorizes looting like this as a nonviolent crime.
"I would like you to put yourselves in the clerk's shoes and ask them how nonviolent it felt for them," said Sgt. Gandhi.
The intersection where the sideshow was happening still had skid marks from donuts on the ground Tuesday. People told CBS13 the area is a popular spot for street racing.
"This is not John Travolta in Grease," said Sgt. Gandhi. "These are not just innocent kids going on street races. They are operating recklessly."
Many customers said they came to the 7-Eleven on Tuesday to support the boarded-up business.
"You see that happening in other towns, other areas, and now it is here," said Tomlinson.
Detectives are using security footage to catch everyone responsible.
"Find the people and keep them accountable instead of just having these groups move from space to space," said Brittany Freer, who works in Rio Linda and was a 7-Eleven customer.
The California Highway Patrol is the agency that handles breaking up sideshows in this area. It did not get back to CBS13 with a response about why the agency did not break up this sideshow on Sunday night.
"This has got to stop, and please stay out of Rio Linda. We don't deserve this," said Tomlinson. "We are a loving, good community."
7-Eleven Incorporated gave CBS13 this statement about the incident:
"The safety of customers and employees is a top priority, and we are thankful no associates were harmed during this unfortunate incident."