A man throws a hand truck into the window of a vandalized CVS store during a protest over the death of George Floyd Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Los Angeles. Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A small group of troublemakers and organized criminals hiding among tens of thousands of demonstrators who took to the streets during region-wide protests in late May are believed to be responsible for numerous fires, break-ins and assaults on police officers that occurred nearby, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva talks about arrests and wanted people involved in arson, looting and other crimes during the recent rioting during a press conference with local, state and federal law enforcement representatives outside Los Angeles Police Headquarters, Wednesday, August 26, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Speaking as part of a region-wide task force, the police chiefs of Los Angeles and Santa Monica and a deputy chief from Long Beach sketched out a detailed portrait of the violence they said was specifically targeted at their cities: carloads of burglars zipping between protests, using the marchers as cover. Arsonists who weaved in and out of […]