Surprise police released surveillance video showing a group of more than 50 teenagers swarming a QuikTrip store on June 15 and using their cell phones to record two females boxing in the parking lot while others go inside and steal about six 12-packs of hard iced tea and about 20 single beverage cans.
Officials are asking for help identifying the people involved in the incident. It happened at the convenience store and gas station on Bell Road west of State Route 303 in the early morning of June 15, according to police.
Surprise police said in a statement on X that the “reckless criminal behavior directly interfered with access to a nearby hospital, affecting patients needing emergency medical care.”
The QT store is located about one block north of the Abrazo Surprise Hospital. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The surveillance video shows a large group of young people gathered in the parking lot in a circle with their cell phones raised, surrounding two females wearing boxing gloves. The two start throwing punches while bystanders record the boxing match with their phones. The fight lasts about a minute.
Police said that while employees at the store addressed the disorderly conduct outside, some individuals used the opportunity to steal from inside the store.
Surveillance video shows young people entering the store and walking over to the wall coolers, where some of them grab 12 packs of hard iced tea and individual cans and then walk out without paying.
The video shows a store employee wearing an orange QT shirt walking over after about two minutes to begin locking the coolers. It also shows one of the young people using a cell phone to record the QT employee as he locks the coolers.
Another video shows a group of young people milling about in the parking lot and then some of them running or driving off as police vehicles with flashing lights arrive.
Surprise police said on X that the department has “zero tolerance for criminal activity.” Acts of violence, looting, and organized criminal behavior will not be tolerated in our city. These actions threaten the safety and security of our residents, businesses, and critical services,” the statement said.
“If you recognize anyone in the video or have any information related to this incident, we urge you to contact the Surprise Police Department at 623-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip anonymously through e-mail at [email protected],” Surprise police said in a written statement.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Video captures group of teens stealing from Arizona QuikTrip store
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