on may 3, 1992, in view of the very large number of persons arrested during the riots, the california supreme court extended the deadline to charge defendants from 48 hours to 96 hours. that day, 6,345 people were arrested. nearly one third of the rioters arrested were released because police officers were unable to identify individuals in the sheer volume of the crowd. in one case, officers arrested around 40 people stealing from one store; while they were identifying them, a group of another 12 looters were brought in. with the groups mingled, charges could not be brought against individuals for stealing from specific stores, and the police had to release them all.