Tip of potential looting closes down stores in Southern California; National Guard deployed

By Randy Mangona
EBC Orange County Bureau

LAKEWOOD, CALIF. (Eagle News) — Stores in the Lakewood Center Area began to close Tuesday at around 2 p.m. Guests and employees were told to leave due to possible threats of looting in the local shopping center.

This comes two days after the first round of looting in the same location. The initial occurrence of looting started Sunday around 5 p.m. local time.

The looters and vandals broke windows and doors of businesses to get inside and take what they could.

Police response limited the loss of each business.

Such small gain for the looters might not have been enough. Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the local sheriff received information there would be another attempt at this location. This time, local law enforcement as well as business owners were more prepared.

The Target store reinforced their entrance. The store stacked pallets of water against the tall glass windows and barricaded the doors with shopping carts.

Businesses were given a greater sense of safety as the U.S. National Guard was deployed on the outskirts, monitoring each entrance into the business plaza.

After several days of looting, the National Guard has been deployed in an effort to stop damage to local businesses in Southern California. (Photo by Randy Mangona, EBC Orange County Bureau, Eagle News Service)

A store in Lakewood, California boards up windows and reinforces entrances with stacks of bottled water in an effort to prevent looters from entering. (Photo by Randy Mangona, EBC Orange County Bureau, Eagle News Service)

(Eagle News Service)