most notorious gangs kidnapped them. and you ll remember they demanded $17 million in ransom almost immediately. tonight, the state department saying the u.s. is, quote, deeply engaged in freeing the remaining 15. back in this country tonight, the crackdown, authorities growing increasingly concerned after a wave of what they call smash and grab robberies. groups of people swarming stores, nordstrom and other high end stores and making off with thousands of dollars worth of goods. abc s kaylee hartung with the images tonight. reporter: tonight, a rash of smash and grab thefts targeting retailers around the country, just as the holiday shopping season picks up. in california, the bay area suddenly seeing mobs of people ambushing stores. a lot of them are going in there, grabbing as much merchandise as they can, and me assltg employeesthe weend, before t mercndise inanto