Bash Mob Long Beach: Police Issue Warning as More Than 100 Expected to Go on Crime Wave (VIDEO, PHOTO)
A so-called Bash mob is set to hit Long Beach on Friday, with authorities bracing themselves for trouble, announcing that any participants will be arrested of they commit any crimes or cause problems.
The Long Beach Police Department has issued a news release about the event they believe will take place later on Friday. Authorities have described the "bash mob" as a "planned, sudden assembly of individuals who attack innocent people and businesses" and then quickly disperse and run away once they've committed the illegal acts.
The area has already been hit by such an incident on July 9, when more than 100 people converged in the Long Beach area to take part in a sudden, organized crime rampage on locals and businesses.
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Authorities have said that some people taking part in the bash mob may believe that they are just having a bit of fun, but that their participation on such an event could result in severe penalties due to the trouble that is caused by those taking part.
Officials have said that "the mere participation in such an event can result in felony charges including conspiracy, and are punishable by imprisonment in the state prison."
A mob of people are believed to be planning to gather at the area on Friday afternoon, and could include many of the same people who wreaked havoc in the incident on July 9.
Participants are thought to organize the so-called bash mobs through social media, and a similar incident also hit Hollywood on Tuesday night. LA police have said they believe the incident on Tuesday was organized to take advantage of the LAPD's concentration of resources on other protests and marches in relation to the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman case.
Bash mobs have been known to hit other major cities in the United States, including Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, and some areas have enacted more strict policies to dealing with participants in such attacks.
