Hollywood Halloween: Some Came as Vandals and Looters

Hollywood’s traditional but unofficial Halloween celebration turned into a melee late Monday night when some of the 100,000 revelers--many in costume--tossed bottles at police, smashed windows and looted stores along Hollywood Boulevard.

It took 170 police officers in riot gear, backed up by mounted units and two helicopters, about two hours to restore order to a three-block stretch of the thoroughfare. Authorities said 28 people were arrested on charges ranging from drinking in public to assault on a police officer.

At least six people, including two police officers, were slightly injured in the disturbance. There was no immediate estimate of the total cost of the damage.

“They just went nuts,” said Gloria Saberi, 37, of Hollywood, who saw the looting start about 11:20 p.m. at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. “At first, they were just making noise and then . . . it was a free-for-all. People breaking into stores, everything.”

About a dozen businesses, including the Brown Derby restaurant and British Imports, a leather goods shop, were extensively damaged.

The owner of British Imports, which also sells heavy metal music accessory items, said looters ripped away a metal security gate and smashed through several glass windows of the store at 6303 W. Hollywood Blvd.

“It was just crazy--they took custom-made leather coats, pants, shirts, jewelry,” Hassan Ebrahim, 27, said while surveying his trashed store Tuesday morning. The total loss to the store was set at $130,000, he said.

Next door, officials at the Brown Derby said looters smashed windows to get into the restaurant, took wine and food, and then threw tables and chairs into the street.

But the restaurant’s trademarks--caricatures of Hollywood celebrities--were left untouched. Employees worked through the night to open in time for lunch Tuesday.

At one souvenir store, the Holly Vine Shoppe, looters smashed windows and took stuffed animals, Hollywood postcards, Hollywood pennants and baseball caps emblazoned “LAPD.”

Most businesses had closed early Monday because of the crowds that usually show up on Hollywood Boulevard at Halloween.

Police, anticipating a large crowd, closed a mile-long section of the boulevard to traffic at 8 p.m., allowing the mostly costumed crowd to walk in the street.

But by 10 p.m. a large crowd had gathered near Hollywood Boulevard and McCadden Place, and police decided to urge the revelers to move away from the area, said Capt. Rick Batson, commander of the Hollywood station.

One part of the crowd went west along Hollywood and dispersed, but only after hurling an occasional bottle at officers.

The other half, at the behest of helmeted officers, moved east to Vine Street, where it stopped. Then the trouble started.

“It began the way these things always begin,” Sgt. Jon Zrofsky said. “Alcohol, rowdiness and a complete lack of respect for the spirit of the holiday.”

“After standing around for several hours, a small group of people in the mostly young crowd got bored and unruly and after a while decided on more revelry--smashing windows and throwing stuff at the police,” Batson said.

Some business owners were critical of the police role in the disturbance, saying that officers did nothing to stop some looters. Ebrahim said several police units drove away from his store while it was being looted.

Batson said the officers left because they would have been injured if they had tried to intervene. Officers in riot gear were sent to the area after more officers arrived from police stations outside Hollywood.

One officer suffered a strained knee and another’s eye was injured when he was hit in the face by an eggshell.

Of the 28 people taken into custody, 13 were booked on a variety of felony charges, ranging from burglary and assault to carrying a concealed weapon.

Another 15 were booked on misdemeanor charges like drinking in public.

Setback for the Area

Community leaders said the melee was a setback in a campaign to spruce up Hollywood, which is the focus of a major revitalization effort.

Bill Welsh, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, suggested that since Hollywood Boulevard is closed for some holidays, perhaps an organized event should be planned. “That’ll give them something to do other than to smash windows.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo, who represents the area, told a news conference that the idea might work, but added that he was against a “Street Scene”-type event.

Woo said his office was working with Batson to come up with a beefed-up enforcement plan to handle gatherings like the one Monday night.

The councilman said he would explore the possibility of asking some retailers along Hollywood Boulevard to refrain from selling alcoholic beverages in bottles, in favor of paper cups.

He said such a plan might be in place in time for New Year’s Eve.

Times staff writer Paul Feldman contributed to this article.