12 Arrested In Connection With Looting At Scottsdale Fashion Square
Police arrested 12 suspects in Saturday night's looting at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
"We stand with all Americans in seeking justice," said Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane about the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while being held under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer.
Protests erupted across the nation as organizers called for justice reform. For the most part, crowds had demonstrated peacefully during daytime rallies, but those gave way to crime sprees as night fell Saturday, including at upscale shopping centers.
"I denounce those who are twisting a legitimate desire for justice into mindless and purposeless destruction," Lane asserted in a news conference Sunday.
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He estimated Scottsdale retailers and restaurant owners lost millions of dollars to damages and theft at multiple businesses like P.F. Changs, the Apple Store and Neiman Marcus.
Police Chief Alan Robdell said many in the crowd used it as a distraction to steal from and vandalize merchants at the mall.
Investigators were able to warn merchants after a social media thread on Twitter urged people to gather at the corner or Camelback and Scottsdale Roads.
"Our initial assessment, when we received this Tweet, was about 53 people were involved in the chat," Robdell said.
Far more people turned out, he said, and those that chose to destroy and steal property are now being investigated.
"We plan on taking this a step further," Robdell warned. "We are looking at ways to bring people that participated last night to justice for, again, destroying people's property and theft."
Mayor Lane said the city is prepared to meet future threats with coordinated and increased law enforcement to prevent further damage in Scottsdale.
