Downtown Los Angeles is no stranger to wild street takeovers where crowds shut down intersections to perform doughnuts, burnouts and other stunts. But over the weekend, a takeover took a turn for the explosive when a brawl overflowed into an upscale apartment complex near Crypto.com Arena, with lobby windows smashed and at least one person taken to the hospital, authorities said.
On Tuesday, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass announced that the Los Angeles Police Department would be strategically deploying patrol cars, horse patrols, foot patrols and undercover units in the downtown L.A. area in response to the incident.
“Here is a message to anyone who thinks they can come Downtown and cause trouble: LAPD will be Downtown in force to arrest you,” Bass said in a statement. “What happened at Circa LA Apartments is despicable. And we have zero tolerance for street takeovers.”
Los Angeles police responded to a call about a large street takeover by the Circa LA Apartments at 3:12 a.m. Sunday and took reports on an assault with a deadly weapon, battery and vandalism, according to a department spokesperson. At least one person was detained and one victim transported to a hospital in stable condition, the spokesperson said.
Video captured of the incident shows people rushing into the lobby, throwing punches and shoving a man in a suit who appears to work at the complex. A person in a black hoodie and a mask can be shown repeatedly ramming a metal barricade into the lobby’s glass windows until they shatter while people in the crowd outside scream and film the brawl.
The group inside the building ransacked the furniture and at least one person appeared to steal a package before sirens were heard and people rushed back outside.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell on Tuesday called the incident “extremely disturbing” and said concerns raised by residents and businesses were “absolutely justified.” McDonnell said the department was increasing visibility, strengthening enforcement and expanding partnerships to deter criminal activity in the area and hold offenders accountable.
Bass said that she would not let street takeovers and criminal activity derail ongoing downtown revitalization efforts, which include a $2.6-billion expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center in preparation for the LA28 Olympics. Downtown L.A. will be a central venue for the Games, hosting events at the convention center, Crypto.com Arena and the Peacock Theater.
Nella McOsker, president and chief executive of the Central City Assn., emphasized in a statement Tuesday the outsize role that downtown L.A. plays in the city’s economy and the importance of ensuring that it feels safe and welcoming. She noted that the neighborhood has 400,000 daytime workers, hosts 18 million visitors annually and generates a third of the city’s essential tax revenue.
“Targeted public safety investments like this,” she said, “help breathe life into our city budget and greater Los Angeles economy.”
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