Police: Mob Loots Late-Night Convenience Store
Police are investigating a couple of incidents in which a mob has looted a late-night convenience store in the 1500 block of East 23rd Street.
The lootings have coincided with the closing time of a popular bar downtown Lawrence bar. The most recent incident happened early Sunday morning.
"I go to lock the door and not letting anyone in, and they just rip the door from my hand and started barging in," store manager Kelly Williams said.
Aylward said it has happened once before, but on Sunday the crowd was even bigger -- estimated at 100 to 150 people -- inside the shop, stealing stuff as fast as they could. Aylward said that the looters didn't just take one or two items. They took boxes of candy, snacks and even cases of beer. The store did not disclose how much of a financial hit it took.
All of it was caught by a surveillance camera. Police did not make arrests that night, but suspected the people pictured on the surveillance tape had just let out of Last Call -- a bar known for its music and late hours.
"If we do close early and other places don't, I don't see how that solves the problem," bar owner Dennis Steffes said.
Steffes insists the problem is not alcohol, his hours, or the crowds.
"We have crime whether or not Last Call was open or not. You know, that's what I mean. The only way you're going to stop this is you have to remove the crime. The only way you're going to remove the crime is to arrest the criminals," Steffes said.
The convenience store, which was open 24 hours, will now close a bit earlier, Aylward said.
"Something's got to be done," Williams said.
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Posted by Editor at February 23, 2005 12:42 PM
