WASHINGTON (WJLA) — D.C. resident took to social media to express frustration over an alleged shoplifting incident at a CVS Pharmacy in Navy Yard Tuesday night.
In videos posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, by user Dang Laing, Tuesday night's incident appeared to involve several juveniles running around the New Jersey Avenue, Southeast store with one person using a scooter.
Another video shot by Laing, which appeared to be taken shortly after, showed people in the store complaining to a security guard and someone throwing what appears to be a plastic bottle before leaving the store.
"Love, Washington BUT am super frustrated as a resident of Navy Yard. Went to [CVS Pharmacy] just now and it was ransacked," Laing said in a post to X. "Employees were great. No confidence in [Mayor Muriel Bower] to fix this. [Metro] said they wanted the video, [D.C. Police] has already left the scene. Pathetic."
WJLA reviewed the videos and did not observe noticeable damage to the store. One video appears to show officers who may be armed, though it's unclear if they were Metro Transit Police or Metropolitan Police officers.
"There are people and juveniles that are stealing these products and they’re not being held accountable," said Elissa DeSouza, who lives just down the street.
DeSouza said it's a repeat event at stores in her neighborhood and beyond.
"It's very concerning," she added.
A spokesperson with CVS told WJLA that no customers or employees were hurt and that they are working with Metropolitan Police to investigate the shoplifting incident. The store was open on Wednesday.
In the past, several CVS locations in D.C. have become targets of shoplifting and theft as locals turn to D.C. leaders to express their frustrations.
At the end of February, CVS shuttered its Columbia Heights location which was a constant target for thieves. So much so that when WJLA covered their closure in January, much of the store's shelves had been wiped clean due to ransacking.
CVS Pharmacy did not say the decision to close was due to crime.
The CVS Spokesperson told WJLA of plans to close their Waterfront location on 4th Street, Southwest, on May 15, but again did not say it was directly due to crime. Instead, the company cites numerous possible factors like local market dynamics, population shifts, and store density.
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