Montgomery County police say 17 people have been charged in a flash mob theft of a Germantown convenience store.
A group of 25 young people stormed the 7-Eleven at 13001 Wisteria Drive shortly before 2 a.m. on Aug. 13. In just about a minute, they stole snacks, drinks and other items from the store, then left.
Police said Friday that charges have been placed against 17 people — 14 juveniles and three adults — in the incident. Charges include theft, conspiracy to commit theft and disorderly conduct.
Though social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have been used to plan other, non-criminal flash mob gatherings, the teens are believed to have planned the theft while they were together at the Montgomery County Fair, said Officer Janelle Smith, a police spokeswoman.
The group then took a bus together to Germantown and raided the store, she said.
But social media did play a role in helping investigators crack the case: Police posted surveillance video from the store on YouTube. Tips from the public helped police identify the suspects, Smith said. She said officers also worked with county school officials to identify the teens.
One person was identified, but authorities determined that the teen was not involved in the thefts and had inadvertently entered the 7-Eleven during the incident.
Police are still trying to identify the other people involved.
