Large crowds of juveniles loot several stores in Philadelphia, police say

PHILADELPHIA — Police in Philadelphia responded to reports of large crowds of juveniles allegedly looting stores in the Center City area on Tuesday night.

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Among the stores broken into were a FootLocker, an Apple store and a Lululemon sports apparel store in Center City, WCAU-TV reported.

A police officer told the television station that more than 100 juveniles took items from the Lululemon store.

Several people were arrested, police said. No injuries were immediately reported, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Just after 8:15 p.m. EDT, police reported that many young people were on Walnut Street by the Apple store near 16th Street, the Inquirer reported.

Officers recovered iPhones that were dropped, and in one location, “a pile of iPads,” according to the newspaper.

The Apple store had iPhones and iPads scattered across display tables, WTXF-TV reported.

A security guard was allegedly assaulted at the FootLocker store, according to KYW-TV. The television station reported that the group had large plastic bags that were being filled with stolen store merchandise.

A security guard at a nearby Wendy’s, Hakeem Russel, told WCAU that the store next to Wendy’s along Chestnut was broken into and the guard was assaulted.

“A couple of kids decided they wanted to take full advantage of the unjust shooting that’s happened,” Russel told the television station. “It’s definitely been unrest around here since the verdict.”

Russel was referring to the dismissal of charges against Philadelphia police Officer Mark Dial, who was accused of fatally shooting Eddie Irizarry as he sat in a vehicle last month, WTXF reported.

Dial was facing first-degree murder other charges in the shooting that happened during a traffic stop in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, according to the television station.

Multiple Philadelphia Police commanders confirmed to KYW that the looting had no connection to Tuesday’s verdict. Earlier protests had ended peacefully, according to the television station.