Metro bus burned down in Echo Park Dodgers World Series celebration

Dodgers World Series championship celebrations in the streets of Los Angeles turned chaotic early Thursday morning when a Metro bus was burned down in Echo Park.

Celebrations erupted across Los Angeles Wednesday night when one of the league’s most successful and storied clubs topped off a storybook season with an eighth World Series title. Some turned violent, including the large gathering in the community near downtown LA and just west of Dodger Stadium.

The vandalism and burning of the bus was reported at 12:50 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Echo Park Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard. The bus was completely destroyed and its frame was towed from the scene later Thursday morning.

The bus operator and five passengers were able to get off the bus safely, Metro said. No injuries were reported.

“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,” Metro Communications Director Dave Sotero said in an email to City News Service. “We are thankful that the bus operator and the five passengers were safely evacuated before the bus was set on fire.”

A dispersal order has been issued at 9th and Flower due to an unlawful assembly and a hostile crowd that is throwing fireworks and projectiles at officers. Leave the area immediately and follow all officers orders.

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) October 31, 2024

In downtown LA, the LAPD reported that projectiles were being thrown at officers in the area of Olympic and Grand Avenue. Looting was also reported at several stores in the area.

A dispersal order was issued in both downtown and East Los Angeles due to the crowds becoming unruly.

Twelve people were arrested in connection with the World Series celebrations, police said Thursday morning. They were arrested for failure to disperse, receiving stolen property and commercial burglary.

The Game 5 victory touched off celebrations in sport bars and elsewhere in a scene that was much different than the Dodgers’ last World Series win in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season. This time, fans also are looking forward to a parade, something that was missing after the 2020 title.

The parade and a Dodger Stadium celebration are planned for Friday.

The World Series title is the team’s first in a full season in 36 years and the icing on top of a season full of promise with the addition of two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani to an already potent lineup alongside fellow MVPs Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

The 2020 season was shortened by the pandemic and played under several major MLB changes, including neutral-site bubbles and other safety precautions.

The triumph capped a series of Dodgers domination. briefly interrupted with a Game 4 offensive outburst by the Yankees. After Freeman’s dramatic extra-inning walk-off home run in the series’ opening game and strong pitching performances from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler in games 2 and 3, history was on LA’s side entering Game 4, but the Yankees rallied for an 11-4 win.

An inning of Yankees miscues doomed New York’s bid for an historic comeback in Game 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtE_GWb8oAY

All 24 previous teams that had taken a 3-0 World Series lead had gone on to win the Series. Teams with a 3-0 Series lead have won the World Series in Game 4 21 times with the three exceptions being the Baltimore Orioles in 1970 against the Cincinnati Reds; the Yankees in 1937 against the New York Giants; and Philadelphia Athletics in 1910 against the Chicago Cubs.

Celebrations also broke out after Game 2 of the series. Deputies responded to an East LA neighborhood after Saturday’s win following reports of a street takeover and fireworks.

In a social media post over the weekend, the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department encouraged fans to cheer on the team and to celebrate when they win, but that post came with a warning about vandalism, unlawful assembly a public intoxication.

“Unruly, illegal behavior will not be tolerated,” the sheriff’s department said online. “This is a time for community pride and unity as we support our home team; however, it is essential that it is done safely.”