Target hit with computer glitch, long lines

NORTHRIDGE, LA -- Target says a glitch in its system left customers at some stores across the country waiting in long checkout lines on Sunday.

Eyewitness News viewers reported outages at stores across the Southland, including Culver City, Palmdale, downtown Los Angeles and Granada Hills. The problem started in the late afternoon and lasted for a few hours. Target said it has since fixed the glitch.

The latest problem for the retail giant comes in the wake of a data breach at the end of last year in which credit card information affecting millions of customers was stolen by cyber criminals.

Target issued a statement saying the glitch was not in any way related to a security issue. The company also apologized to anyone impacted.

Nikki Mazerant spent about a half hour waiting in line at a Target in Northridge. She was attempting to make a credit card purchase when the clerk said the registers weren't working.

"Ended up telling us that there was a problem with the system. So she was rebooting the register she was on. While she was rebooting that one, she actually went to the register right behind me. She was literally bouncing between registers, trying to get the people out," she said.

In Burbank, employees met shoppers at the door to warn them about the problem. Some left immediately.

"It was super crowded I didn't realize it was a problem with the computers and I heard a few people talk about it and they started funneling everyone into one long line," said Lisa Russey.

Shoppers who couldn't pay cash left without their merchandise. Still, this glitch may not be enough to deter loyal Target customers.

"I'm not going stop shopping at my Target. This is a onetime incident. I've never had this happen," Mazerant said.