Flash Mob Theft at Md. 7-Eleven, 2nd in Montgomery County
Nearly 30 teenagers in Maryland robbed a 7-Eleven convenient store over the weekend, contributing to the recent flash mob violence, which has emerged over several cities across the states.
The large group consisting of mainly black teens stole several items from the store in Germantown, Md., including candy and other goods.
Surveillance video obtained by the police showcased the entire robbery from beginning to end, starting with the teens casually walking into the store, picking out items of their choice off the shelves, and ending with them walking out without paying for the items.
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Some were wearing baseball caps while others had no cover-ups or disguises to mask their identity.
The video recorded no one trying to stop them, although it appeared as if one witness who walked in towards the end of the robbery seemed to question what was going on.
Montgomery County police are “actively investigating” the incident, said Lucille Baur, a spokesperson for the county, to The Christian Post.
“The [surveillance] video has been widely distributed and we are receiving information that helps us identify many of the participants,” Baur stated. “We do intend to hold those responsible accountable for their actions and we are seeking input from the community as we continue to identify those involved.”
Though they couldn’t be sure, the police believe that the incident was planned beforehand using platforms like social media to help organize the event.
“Until we have an opportunity to actually speak with the suspects involved, we can’t be certain, but we believe this was an incident that was mutually agreed upon by the participants and planned in advance to gather and enter this establishment as a group for the express purpose of taking property without paying for it.”
“We do believe that social media may very well have played a role in this group gathering together, but it is too soon in the investigation to be able to confirm that,” Baur added.
The storeowner’s son, who was working early Saturday when the incident occurred, told NBC 4 that although he did not approach any of the participants, he did hit the panic button in order to alert the police of the robbery.
He also shared, “It’s shocking to see they are not afraid of any repercussions from their actions. They are all smiling. They are laughing about it.”
When asked if it appeared as if the teens involved did not care about the repercussions of their actions, Baur told CP, “Well we can’t know what was going through the minds of the participants.”
“It does appear that they felt ... more secure in taking these illegal actions due to the fact that they were doing this in a group. They definitely outnumbered the single store employee who was on duty.”
The county spokesperson also revealed that many of those involved in the robbery were in fact Montgomery county residents, though they were still determining if some individuals were from outside the county.
The police are currently working with the state’s attorney office to determine what the appropriate charges would be once convicted.
Not the largest flash mob incident in the county, Baur told CP of a larger mob event that happened earlier this summer during the 4th of July weekend.
From July 1-2, a group of about 50-60 participants gathered together outside in the central business district in Silver Spring, Md., “for the purpose of showing their strength as a gang and ... to intimidate others.”
One female was stabbed during that time. But the July flash mob event involved violence and assault, while the Germantown incident reported no injuries.
“As criminals go, they were pretty neat,” Howard Hersh, another spokesman from the Montgomery County police told Fox News. “There were no injuries and they didn’t ransack the store.”
No arrests have been made so far as the investigation continues. Police are asking that anyone who recognizes any of the suspects in the video contact the 5th/6th District Investigative Section at 240-773-6200. Callers may remain anonymous.
