'It's sick' — footage shows masked thugs prowling through posh LA farmers market

A masked gang recorded themselves causing chaos in an organized assault at a high-end Los Angeles farmers market this past weekend.

On Sunday, the Larchmont Village Farmers Market became the scene of their intimidation, as the five unidentified men threatened women, children, and teenagers, reportedly using pepper spray against some visitors.

The aggressors roamed the market, known for its upscale clientele, and continued to film despite efforts by patrons to protect themselves and their families from the intrusive cameras.

Some members of the group sported attire emblazoned with “FTP,” though the significance of these letters remains unclear.

Fifteen-year-old Angel Hernandez expressed feeling threatened by the persistent filming, despite his requests for them to stop.

“I asked them not to record me because I’m a minor,” Hernandez recounted. “They just kept filming and moved closer to me.”

“I don’t know if they can be using it for their weird fantasies or if they could be doing something else with it,” the teen added.

A young mother carrying a baby and young toddler told the men she and others were uncomfortable being filmed.

But the masked men called her a “Karen” and one said, “Don’t tell me what to do, I couldn’t care less.”

The masked group brandished cameras and surrounded market workers in what appeared to be attempts to get reactions captured on film.

Terrified vendors said they felt powerless during the confrontations.

“They have sunglasses on, they have face masks, they have hats on, their bodies are all shielded,” said a tea vendor who was filmed alongside her friend.

“It makes me feel very uncomfortable,” said the tea hawker, who declined to give her last name. “It’s sick.”

Kelvin Bolanyos, who works at a sprout stall at the market, said he had been following reports of the group masked men on social media before they confronted him in person.

“If you go up to them and you try grabbing their camera, that’s when they retaliate and they call it assault,” Bolanyos said.

Members of the masked group allegedly blasted shoppers with pepper spray, according to witnesses and police.  

Officers responded around 11:30 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a possible battery at the market, an LAPD spokesman said.

But the masked men disappeared as soon as police arrived and the victims who were doused with pepper spray had left as well.

“Officers arrived and did not locate suspects or victims of a battery or of being pepper sprayed,” said the LAPD spokesman.

Police on the scene told The Post that cops had received reports of pepper spray being used and they were looking for the masked group.

The Larchmont Village Farmers Market occurs twice weekly and features booths selling a variety of produce, baked goods and handmade crafts in a parking lot on Larchmont Boulevard. 

The market’s management told masked bullies who visited Sunday to leave.

A spokesman for the non-profit official film office of Los Angeles FilmLA said it appeared the masked men lacked permits needed for commercial on-location filming in the city.


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