WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF) — Dozens of looters swarmed into the Nordstrom store in downtown Walnut Creek Saturday night, terrorizing shoppers, ripping off bag loads of merchandise and ransacking shelves before fleeing in a several vehicles waiting for them on the street.
Video shot at the scene shows the masked looters — numbering as many as 80 — streaming out of the store, carrying bags and boxes, jumping into the cars.
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Dozens of police vehicles also responded to the scene. It was not immediately known if any of the looters had been arrested.
Brett Barrett is one of the managers of P.F. Chang’s restaurant across from the Nordstrom store. He watched as the bedlam unfolded.
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“I probably saw 50-80 people in like ski masks with crowbars, a bunch of weapons,” he said. “They were looting the Nordstrom.”
“There was a mob of people,” he continued. “The police were flying in. It was like a scene out of a movie. It was insane.”
Barrett also worried about the safety of the diners in his restaurant. Many crowded around the windows to watch the looters flee.
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“I had to start locking the front door,” he said. “Locking the back door. You never know, they could come right in here. It was crazy…All the guests inside were getting concerned. It was a scary scene for a moment.”
Source: sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.