Metro bus set on fire, vandalism, burglaries and arrests in L.A. as Dodgers win World Series

Ecstatic fans took to the streets of Los Angeles after the Dodgers won the franchise’s eighth World Series title, but the joy turned into scattered unrest downtown and nearby areas overnight, where vehicles were burned and businesses burglarized.

Crowds gathered near L.A. Live to celebrate, at times setting off fireworks. The LAPD issued a dispersal order, but it took several hours to clear the streets.

In downtown, multiple businesses were burglarized or vandalized, though exact details were not available. Police said some in the crowd were “hostile” and threw objects at officers. Videos showed people stealing from a Nike Jordan store on Broadway and cars doing doughnuts at intersections to roars from bystanders.

In Echo Park, a Metro bus was set on fire.

“Metro is disappointed and angered by the senseless act of vandalism on one of our buses following the Dodgers World Series Win earlier this evening,” the transportation agency said in a statement.

By the end of the night, police had booked two people for misdemeanor failure to disperse, four people for misdemeanors for receiving stolen property and six people for felony commercial burglary, officials said early Thursday.

“Less-lethal munitions were deployed for crowd control on several hostile and violent crowds,” LAPD Officer Drake Madison said in an email. “Detectives will be conducting investigations in the coming days to attempt to identify those responsible for the above mentioned crimes.”

Downtown has been the site of unrest before after both the Lakers and the Dodgers won championships.

There were countless other celebrations across the city Wednesday night, most reveling in the historic victory without incident.

The Dodgers became the first Major League Baseball team to win a World Series-clinching game when trailing by five runs, coming back to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5.

Fans flooded Whittier Boulevard in East L.A., dancing, setting off fireworks and chanting. Neighbors banged pots and pans on their porches while a chorus of fireworks, cheers and sirens rang out in Highland Park. And in Little Tokyo, fans gathered near the Shohei Ohtani mural to celebrate the beloved player who this year became the first in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.

The sheer display of fireworks across the city rivaled the Fourth of July, while Los Angeles City Hall and the “D” on the Hollywood sign were lighted up in Dodger blue to celebrate the win.

A Dodger fan celebrates in a vehicle along Whittier Boulevard.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Authorities had closed off some streets in East L.A. and downtown in hopes of preventing some of the more intense celebrations that occurred when the Dodgers won in 2020.

Nevertheless, fan energy could not be contained.

In East Los Angeles, the fireworks began to blast the moment Walker Buehler struck out Alex Verdugo to win the Series. People poured out of their houses and headed toward Whittier Boulevard, the Eastside’s historical corridor.

In their locker room at Yankee Stadium, Dodgers players celebrate their World Series title.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“This is so incredible!” screamed Boyle Heights resident Jessica Gutierrez, 33. “We’ve waited so long for this, and you just have to be with all your fellow Dodger fans.”

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol had blocked off the intersection of Whittier and Atlantic boulevards in an effort to stymie cruising, but to no avail — cars merely did a U-turn on Hillview Avenue.

Near Hoefner Avenue in front of the Commerce Center, fans stood in the middle of Whittier Boulevard to record the passing parade. Although it was too crowded to do full spinouts, cars still spun their tires to burn rubber, to the cheer of crowds.

“Oh, my God, that was the craziest game I’ve ever seen,” one fan told KCAL News at a watch party in downtown L.A. “We are back on top after 2020, and we finally get our parade!”

The Dodgers parade set for Friday will be the first in 36 years, after hopes of a 2020 communal celebration were stymied by the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Tonight, we showed the world that Los Angeles is made of CHAMPIONS,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a statement on X. “Congratulations to the Dodgers on tonight’s win. Looking forward to seeing you back in LA!”

After falling behind 5-0 after three innings Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, the team staged a stunning five-run comeback in the fifth. After falling behind again, they rallied again in the eighth.

“It was nerve-racking! I was so nervous, but we kept our faith, and fortunately things went our way,” one fan told KCAL News at a watch party in Pasadena. “I’m just glad and excited we won.”

Joyful fans converge at Tom’s Watch Bar at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

City News Service contributed to this article