Shocking vandalism rampage in downtown L.A. sparks outrage as LAPD seeks suspects

Customers peered through the graffiti-covered doors and windows in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday morning, unsure what was open and what was closed after what had transpired over the weekend.

On Saturday night, police say, hundreds of people showed up for an illegal party in downtown Los Angeles, with a group of them later spilling out into the surrounding neighborhood where they wreaked havoc — vandalizing vehicles, storefronts and even a Metro train.

Los Angeles police responded to the area, where the crowd then vandalized their vehicles. One officer was injured when hit in the face with a bottle, police said. In the end, no arrests were made.

“Our officers were heavily outnumbered and so the decision was, clear the area rather than make arrests. But I can assure you we will find those responsible,” said Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Lillian Carranza.

For locals, what transpired felt like some of the city’s issues were amplified and on full display.

“This type of vandalism happens every day but never to this extent,” said Dr. Afshin Akhavan, who runs the House of Health clinic on Washington Boulevard. “We really need to teach the future generations how to care for one another. How would you like it if this happened to your home?”

The windows of Akhavan’s practice were covered in red and black spray paint, as were many surrounding businesses. Employees at some were still scraping graffiti off their windows Tuesday morning.

“I hope that they face some type of fines or at least jail time. I don’t know,” said Teddy Lee, owner of DTLA Window Tint, whose store cameras captured some of the weekend incident.

In his store surveillance video, men wearing baseball caps and T-shirts are seen casually approaching his business with spray cans and vandalizing it. Others soon join in.

Frustrated, he watched the video Tuesday and lamented, “What are you going to do?”

In response to the incident, Mayor Karen Bass during a Memorial Day event Monday called for those responsible to be found and held accountable.

“It is unacceptable under any and all circumstances,” the mayor said. “And those people who perpetrated this have to be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”

On Saturday night, hundreds of people were drawn to an illegal party in downtown Los Angeles that was promoted online, according to the mayor’s office.

(OnScene.TV)

According to police, there were two parties on adjacent rooftops Saturday night, including one with a punk band, and the warehouse-style buildings were being used without the owner’s knowledge.

“The events had been widely advertised on social media,” Carranza said.

Eventually, security called police officers to disperse the crowd of about 700 people, many of them minors.

Some of the youths began setting off fireworks and tossing Molotov cocktails at security and the officers, triggering a call for help and a larger response from law enforcement. The parties were both in the 1700 block of Trinity Avenue, police said.

About 100 people from a party broke off and went on a vandalism spree, Carranza said. A group of about 50 people blocked two A Line trains, vandalizing them.

Officers eventually declared an unlawful assembly, set up a skirmish line and pushed the youths out of the area.

Now, it’s up to detectives to find those responsible. Several plainclothes officers were in the area Tuesday canvassing local businesses for witnesses and security camera video. Others are combing social media feeds for evidence.

Carranza said the operators of the underground parties were being tracked down along with those who helped publicize the events at the heart of the problem.

But some say that may not stem the problem, as Angelenos have a reputation for wreaking havoc amid large celebrations.

Shae Cook, who moved to the city a few years ago and was working on her laptop at Dunkin’ Donuts on Tuesday morning, recalled the aftermath of the Dodgers’ World Series win in 2020, when vandalism was rampant and fires broke out across parts of the city.

“People just go out and take it out on the city,” she said.