Parents turn in their kids after recognizing them in robbery video, California cops say

Some parents have turned their teenage children in to police after recognizing them in security video of recent Los Angeles “flash mob” robberies, California police reported.

Groups of 20 to 40 teens on bicycles have robbed at least 14 7-Eleven stores in the Los Angeles area since July, police said in a Sept. 26 news release.

Police posted a YouTube video with security video from some of the robberies with the release.

Now parents of at least three teens have turned their children in after recognizing them in the video, officials said at a police commission meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1, KABC reported.

Assistant Chief Blake Chow told the board that the parents brought their teens to police stations in connection with the case on Sept. 26, Sept. 28 and Sept. 29, KTLA reported.

“It’s interesting to hear that parents themselves were active in getting their children to be held accountable for those and to face consequences,” said Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields, KNBC reported.

The teens were booked on robbery charges, police told KTLA.

Thirteen of the 14 robberies have taken place on Friday evenings, police said. The targeted stores are within a short distance of each other in the Rampart, Hollywood, Wilshire and West L.A. divisions.

The teens roll up on bicycles and flood the store, stealing merchandise and causing damage before fleeing, police said in the release.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call 1-877-527-3247.

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Parents turn in their kids after recognizing them in robbery video, California cops say."