You've probably watched and enjoyed more than one flash mob video on the Internet, where hundreds of flash mobbers secretly gather in a public place and surprise the crowds with a choreographed dance or a Hallelujah chorus.
Now, though, flash mobs are forming with a much more sinister purpose.
Teens are gathering in groups in order to storm the doors of popular clothing stores, load up with as much gear as they can carry, and leave -- while employees stand helpless to do anything about it.
Click through to see surveillance video of the latest flash mob robbery, where teens walked out with more than $20,000 of merchandise.
It happened Monday at G-Star Raw in Washington, D.C.
According to MyFOXDC.com, 19 teens gathered outside the store, then walked in and casually began loading up with merchandise, even pausing to check to find their sizes before they left.
Meanwhile, customers and employees stood around, watching them and unable to do anything. With that many involved in the robbery, I'm sure they were afraid to confront one of them. Employees called 9-1-1 as soon as the teens entered, but police didn't arrive until ten minutes later, long after the teens had left.
One employee says these type of flash mob robberies have happened a number of times in the DC area, but a police officer said the number of teens in this particular instance was unusual.
Check out the video to see the surveillance tape for yourself:
VIDEO: Mob of Teens Rob Dupont Circle Store: MyFoxDC.com
This type of robbery worries me -- I'd hate to be a customer when a flash mob robbery took place. With so many people involved and so much potential for confrontation and reaction, the chances of someone getting hurt seem pretty good.
Thank God for online shopping!
What do you think of flash mob robberies? Have you heard of them before?
Image via WJLA
h/t: Racked
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Comments 12
this is sick! this is entitlement and mob mentality at it's best. i hope they find these kids and they get actual time for this. they planned this crap! i would turn in my child if i knew he was stealing! parents pay attn to your kids and it's partly the parents fault for not knowing where their teen is and what they are doing!
Wow, that second comment there...racist much?
Look, it is a parents responsibility to know where their child is and what they are up to. Having said that, I got caught stealing makeup when I was 12. That was in 1982, and I haven't stolen anything since! My parents' were furious, and I was punished. Also, I was banned from the store and very lucky to have no further punishment. But lets face facts, I'm white, lived in a very affluent area of South Florida and had affluent parents. If I was a young black male, I am sure I would have gone to juvie. A single parent who is working has a very hard time keeping up with her teenagers. BUT, if you see that you kid has a bunch of AB&F clothing just mysteriously appear in the house, hello helen, you got a problem! I don't know that I would turn my kid in, because I don't think the criminal justice system is the place for a first time offender, and I am a hell of a lot more creative than any judge, but I would d*mn sure let my child know how unacceptable his actions were and that it had better never happen again if he wanted to remain under my roof for the rest of his days!
Yeah, this whole country is going you know where in a handbasket. Why didn't the employees break out their cellphones and take pix of the kids? Or the other customers? I would have cried foul!
These kids live in DC... they're just preparing to be in Congress!
bringing attention to this story on the news will only give people the idea to do it! so now I could see this becoming a trend
this has actually happened a few times in Chicago in the last few months on Michigan Ave.
whoa! these boys have no moral compass:o(