LOOKS LIKE A GHOST TOWN. YOU'RE WATCHING EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 1130. WE'RE LIVE ON ABC, SEVEN, HULU, AND WHEREVER YOU STREAM, I'M PHILLIP PALMER AND AT THE PUENTE HILLS MALL IN THE CITY OF INDUSTRY, FOOT TRAFFIC IS DOWN AS SEVERAL BIG CHAINS AND CHAINS AND MOM AND POP STORES HAVE RECENTLY CLOSED. EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER JAYSHA PATEL HAS THE STORY. REPORTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING. >> CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S JUST AROUND THE CORNER. IT'S A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE GRABBING THOSE LAST MINUTE GIFTS AND STOCKING STUFFERS AT THE MALL. BUT AT THE PUENTE HILLS MALL, IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT STORY. IT LOOKS LIKE A GHOST TOWN. >> I'M REALLY SAD THIS PLACE WAS HOPPING. UM, SANTA, FOR EXAMPLE. THERE WERE LINES ALL THE WAY AROUND. THIS ICONIC MALL IS KNOWN AS THE TWIN PINES MALL. >> FROM THE BACK TO THE FUTURE MOVIE THAT CAME OUT IN 1985. >> ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU BUILT A TIME MACHINE OUT OF A DELOREAN? >> LOCALS SAY THEY REMEMBER HOW BUSY THIS PLACE USED TO BE. IT'S SAD SEEING A LOT OF CLOTHES, A LOT OF STORES CLOSING. >> UH, WE COULD HARDLY. WE PROBABLY WENT TO, LIKE, THREE STORES, AND WE'RE HEADING OUT ALREADY. >> NOW CUSTOMERS ARE GREETED WITH SIGNS SAYING STORES ARE CLOSED AT MALLS ACROSS THE NATION. FAMILIES ARE LINING UP TO SEE SANTA FOR CHRISTMAS. BUT HERE, NO LINES AT ALL. SOMETHING SANTA HAS EVEN NOTICED IS ALWAYS A RUSTLE WITH KIDS PLAYING, HAVING FUN AND NOW IT'S SILENT. SOME FAMILIES HAVE OPTED TO COME TO THIS MALL FOR PICTURES WITH SANTA EMPLOYEES HELPING TAKE THE PHOTOS SAY BUSINESS HAS BEEN SLOW. THE MOST WE'VE GOTTEN LIKE IN THE BEGINNING WOULD BE LIKE SIX. >> UM, BUT THEN AS LIKE THE HOLIDAYS CAME CLOSER, IT STARTED TO PICK UP A LITTLE MORE. MANY THINK MALLS LIKE THIS ONE ARE SLOWLY DYING BECAUSE OF ONLINE SHOPPING. >> COMPLETE CONVENIENCE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, AS TIME AND LIFE GOES ON, WE GET BUSIER AND THERE IS NO MORE TIME TO BE SPENT FOR RUNNING TO THE STORES. >> IF YOU'D STILL LIKE TO SEE SANTA, YOU'RE NOT OUT OF TIME. HE'LL BE AT THE PUENTE
