Carloads of apparently fearless and extremely brazen thieves, at least one of them armed, are reportedly striking various retail locations around the East Bay tonight (Saturday).
Among the victims are area pharmacies and the Walnut Creek Nordstrom store, frozen and crippled when as many as 80 thieves descended on the store, stealing merchandise and intimidating customers before fleeing in waiting cars.
Walnut Creek police made three arrests and recovered a weapon at the scene, but the highly mobile crews are adept and splitting up and making their getaways before police and civilians recover.
Three Nordstrom employees were treated for a variety of injuries, including exposure to pepper spray, reportedly used when the gang first entered the store – attempting to seize control by overpowering anyone in their way.
Video showing multiple people running from the Walnut Creek Nordstrom with armloads of goods began to surface Saturday night, and one of this site’s video news producers spoke with business people in the area at the time.
In a press release issued Sunday, Walnut Creek police said they stopped and arrested three raiders while the crime was underway Saturday. They identified the arrested as:
Dana Dawson, 30, of San Francisco (gun charges)
Joshua Underwood, 32, of San Francisco
Rodney Robinson, 18, of Oakland
Police said the three were being held on charges of robbery, burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, with Dawson charged with illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon.
Police said the incident was a “planned event” with initial calls coming into the department of reckless driving in the area shortly before 9 p.m. Nordstrom employees began to call requesting assistance a short time later, according to police, saying as many as 80 thieves were raiding the store.
Investigators are in the process of reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to identify other suspects, police said.
I’m remembering all this the next time I vote!
A certain political party/ politicians and persuasions are excusing all this crime saying that it’s ‘equity’. They’re caused the mass release of prisoners into the public, and are basically legalizing theft now. There seems to be no concern over the good citizens.
My thanks surely go out to the police departments who are trying to hold the line, but are being undermined by liberal progressive politicians and government officials.
Interested (mightily) in hearing from anyone inside the store tonight, please…
Everyone should be concerned for all the brave employees.
I left at 7 pm that evening, but my close coworkers close that night. It could be me. Merchandised can be replaced anytime. The stress and u settled we suffer everyday to come to work not knowing if this will keep repeating over and over. This was the “ drop that spilled the glass! Year working here never seeing something like this at store.
Please pray and be kind to all the employees today and that’s holidays. We do all our best as we represent a great company!
Thanks, Maria… give our best to your colleagues and we hope the Holidays are quiet and peaceful for you all!
Thanks for stating your opinion. Enough political correctness. Which by the way, if you look at the terrible situation with middle school students nationwide now dealing with by llicit fentanyl causing death and much injury, this increase is directly attributable to Biden’s border crisis empowering cartels. Yes, no
more mean tweets from Trump, but with all this, not to mention Afganistan and much more, hopefully voters will wake up in 2022 and 2024!
Yes, I was sure I saw the President and vice-President in Men’s Suits and the handbag departments. Biden was pushing a grandmother aside while in search of an Armani suit — and Ms. Harris loves those Coach handbags. Almost as crazy as the events of last night are the morning after responses from conservatives busy stroking their guns and moaning about how their man “had everything under control” before all this started. Give me an ever loving break.
Those on the right sure like knee-jerk answers to complex questions…
Where’s Eliot Ness? This is bigger than any one police department.
However if last year, when a similar smash and grab loot event was caught wind of in advance, our feckless PD literally sat by, stood down and watched. They recommended business owners board up their windows instead.
They could have shut key streets off in advance or laid a trap (which btw SJPD did to great affect at Santana Row). They didn’t.
Our PD is 4 blocks away. They are no longer a deterrent. This isn’t a job for Elliot Ness, all it takes is a City Council with the political will to send a message. Ours has no such will. Welcome to being a target and a victim.
Here is a solution:
1. Vote the whole city council out.
2. Run tough-on-crime candidates
If not, don’t be surprised if one of our family members eventually is caught up in events. And look forward to more businesses closing.
@Mark – How, specifically, would a “tough on crime” city council have deterred the proletariat savages’ predation?
The city council lacks the authority to prosecute alleged criminals. Prosecutorial decisions are the purview of the DA and AG at the state level and DOJ at the federal level. Existing laws against armed robbery, racketeering and, arguably, domestic terrorism suffice to prosecute the despicable conduct here.
The city counsel does oversee some local policing policy at a high level, though law enforcement brass retains broad discretion over tactical responses to specific incidents. I am aware of no city ordinance that limited WCPD’s authority to respond to last night’s guerilla assault.
Further, there’s nothing to suggest that the WCPD exercised restraint or showed leniency in responding to last night’s assault on one of the city’s prized institutions.
Communicate clearly, directly, and repetitively that a second obvious attack on Broadway Plaza / Nordstrom (last night) is not tolerated. Demand a concrete plan to prevent such Hooligans. We have a local law enforcement expert here who can comment, but here is my non-expert take.
1. Last night was highly predictable, Kenosha excuse trigger.
2. Show of Force. Have 10 additional officers on hand at Broadway Plaza on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday.
3. As a previous target, announce that extra forces have been deployed. Announce that looters will be arrested.
4. Have Mutual Aid primed from local law enforcement.
5. Scan social media. We’ve known this day was coming for months.
6. The first possible arrival of Hooligans may be dissuaded by the Show of Force.
7. If looting occurs, arrest 20, 30, 40.
8. If need be, close Nordstrom Friday and Saturday nights.
9. Exit cameras on freeways out of Walnut Creek / CBD.
The City council can set tone and expectations.
The police apparently had no plan for the months-long anticipated Kenosha verdict. Does the WCPD brass live in a bubble?
Answers spring to mind (there’s already a weekend QRF detail in place downtown) but we’ll back out and let some of those LEO types you mention answer up if they wish. And for info, there are many more than just the one… a good deal of our morning was spent talking with a few of them. And we always appreciate those conversations…
Here is your answer, four officers assigned to the central business district, one officer for Apple, one for Nordy and at least four reserves out on Saturday night and that was the best WCPD could do, arrest three. Another poor performance from our troops, I will be dropping a copy of a book at WCPD for Chief Knox.
108RS
Hopefully the one thug they nabbed gives up some names.
Just remember this when you vote! Where are the police? Restrained by the politicians. Decline of CA under this 1-party state continues.
You mean crime will disappear if we all vote Rebublican? Wow, I didn’t know that.
It will at the very least be deterred, not just allowed as under the existing Dem-dominated regime.
Definitely, under Republicans crime will disappear, because they just won’t report or register any crime to hide their incompetence. We all know that by now.
Didn’t they station police at Nordstrom’s awhile back?
+1.
And where are the license plate cameras suggested here a year ago (like Lafayette)? There are a few key freeway exit points onto freeways … 680 North, 680 South, and North Main … that would cover exiting criminals.
Incredible.
Big night for you guys.
Utter insanity. I’ve never seen anything like it.
So those private security guards were on a coffee break? https://news24-680.com/2021/08/04/retail-juggernauts-nordstrom-and-apple-pay-for-policing-by-walnut-creek-pd-officers/
We’ve got some problems we’re going to have to fix. Or we’re not going to come out of this.
If Jeff Bezos were funding shock troops to put his competition out of business he could hardly do better.
I do enjoy Amazon ordering because it allows me to avoid people and crowds.
Yes but small businesses owned by local families suffer if we all rely on Amazon
If they offer online shopping and delivery, I’d be happy up use them.
My Walnut Creek store does most of it’s business online. 108RS
AWWW, Christmas shopping in the Bay Area, its that special time of year. Gotta love it.
Politicians installed by the CCP
Gotta love the Right — they can be counted on to say the most imbecilic things. Extremely entertaining on a Sunday morning.
Very true, gotta love the rights; they talk a lot about crimes. Under them, crimes will disappear, because they just won’t talk, report or register any crime to hide their incompetence. We all know that by now.
All I can tell you is that I spoke against having a “special” WCPD for Nordstrom, in front of the City Council. I told them a single officer would not hold back a mass event unless he/she started shooting and they would never allow that. It’s the Wild West in WC, start carrying a gun, if you are not a prior felon.
108RS
Formerly with Los Angeles County Sheriff
How about closing off all the streets within Broadway Plaza to traffic?
We like the whole Pedestrian Mall/Street concept, PatMac – with bollards! We’re not the City Leaders or traffic experts but it would make sense to US to close down Broadway Plaza and turn it into a European-style outdoor plaza built around the fountain and good food. But that’s just us…
I love your idea. Bring class, not ass(es), to Walnut Creek.
Several in my west Walnut Creek neighborhood heard gunfire coming from the 680 area, approximately a half hour before the incident was reported. Some of us called the police, while many reported this on Nextdoor.
The absolute best solution is to shop online. It’s quick, easy, and you avoid the crowds. I can’t remember the last time I was in Nordstrom’s.
Shopping online is not a “solution.” Problem solving means putting an end to this. These people are criminals, must be caught and should be prosecuted with severe penalties imposed. It is part of a larger lawlessness we are observing, including high speed (120 -130 mph) drivers and races on the freeways. No law enforcement anywhere in site.
Your idea sounds terrific on the internet. Good luck getting anybody to pay the taxes necessary for that in real life, though.
I remember visiting Times Square in New York City, and there are NYPD blue all over the place. The point is to be a deterrent. You have to show up with numbers so that people know they will not be able to get away with these kinds of crimes. WCPD should know better by now, they keep getting caught with their pants down. No one will want to go downtown to shop.
Has anyone ever admitted ordering the police to stand down on May 31, 2020? The buck stops with the City Council. In my opinion they and this decision are responsible for all subsequent looting.
Inevitably a looter or bystander will be killed. Place the blame for that where it belongs. On the May 2020 City Council, classic short term thinkers.
Yes, let’s punish these “criminals” who steal while another person kills 2 people and wounds 1 and gets off. I’m not justifying any criminal act what I’m pointing out is the injustice in our justice system. Our President and Vice President both said the jury got it wrong in so many words, but said we should abide by the court’s decision. Our system is broken and the lawlessness has begun to leak out to the citizens. I believe this is just.the beginning of a wild ride.
Oh you mean the pedophile and other 2 rioters that were terrorizing a city? Those 3? If you didn’t open your mouth or pen then people wouldn’t know how ignorant you really are. Just a thought
But but but ….did the looters feed the meters? You know, so WC is not missing any revenues…