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Watch flash mob turn into flash rob at Casey's General Store
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) —
Police in eastern Iowa are looking for members of a flash mob who swarmed a Cedar Rapids convenience store, stealing items and destroying property in just seconds.
The incident happened around 10:30 p.m. July 3 following a nearby fireworks show, authorities said.
Surveillance video of the Casey’s General Store shows a large group of young people entering the store, grabbing items from shelves and refrigerated coolers and rushing back out the store’s doors, knocking over displays on the way out. From start to finish, the incident took less than 90 seconds.
These flash mob robberies are rare, police said, but they do come in waves. “It’s an incredibly overwhelming experience for that clerk,” Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek said. “You really can’t prepare ahead of time for 25 to 30 people storming your place.”
There were two employees working when the flash mob appeared -- a scary situation that police say is hard to prevent.
“You’re designed to have that type of open, free access,” Parizek said. “That’s how you make money: People come in and they buy things.”
Flash robberies have popped up in recent years.
This past weekend, thieves at a Fresno, California, Apple store stole $27,000 worth of merchandise in just 26 seconds.
Video of other moblike robberies have surfaced across the country. They show how helpless people caught in the middle can be. Police said it’s imperative not to intervene in those situations.
“Stay back,” Parizek said. “If you happen to be a witness, just do what you can to find a safe spot. If you have to, lock yourself in the bathroom. If you have a cellphone with you, give police a call.”
While the mob robberies are rare, police said the only people who should be afraid are the thieves because “it is all caught on video, and if we can identify you, we’re going to come and arrest you.”
