Crime Status
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updated August 25, 2008
Suspect arrested in Westside home invasion robberies
The robberies, which began in late May, targeted elderly women. The suspect was arrested Friday in Santa Monica after an investigation by the LAPD and Santa Monica police.
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
11:33 AM PDT, August 25, 2008
A man suspected of committing at least a dozen home invasion robberies targeting elderly women in the West Los Angeles area has been arrested, authorities said today.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, has been booked on suspicion of robbery and assault in connection with a string of crimes that began in late May and left residents across the area on edge. He was arrested at 3 a.m. Friday in Santa Monica, and Los Angeles Police Department officials said he was preparing to strike again.
"The arrest was the result of intensive investigation conducted jointly by the Los Angeles and Santa Monica police departments and other entities," LAPD Deputy Chief Charlie Beck said. "The physical arrest came as result of work by our Special Investigations Section of robbery-homicide division."
Police said the unarmed suspect would typically enter single-story residences through unlocked windows or by jimmying locks on windows and doors, usually in the early morning hours.
But in other cases, the victims were surprised and overpowered as the thief forced them into their homes and ransacked them before he fled with property, police said.
In one such attack last month, a 96-year-old woman was approached from behind by a man near her home in the 2500 block of Westwood Boulevard, police said.
The woman later was treated at a hospital for bruises and released the same day.
Besides West Los Angeles, police believe the intruder may be responsible for a similar crime in Santa Monica.
On July 18, an elderly woman was awakened about 3:30 a.m. by the sound of an intruder in her home in the 2300 block of 22nd Street. The thief rummaged through the house and stole several items, police said.
Police said the suspect in custody matched the description given by victims: a black man between the age of 25 and 40, 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. During the robberies, he wore dark clothing, dark gloves and a ski mask, police said.
Jay Handal
Immediate Past Chair:Greater West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
Chair: West L.A. Neighborhood Council
San Gennaro Cafe
310-466-0645
Fax 310-388-3025
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updated August 12, 2008
On Wednesday, August 6th there was a meeting called by Jay Greenstein of CD5, which included police detectives, representatives of the area Homeowner Associations and the Westside Neighborhood Council, to discuss the status of the investigation into the wave of home invasion robberies. Detectives De La Cova and Benjamin from the downtown Robbery / Homicide Division made a PowerPoint presentation and discussed the press and TV news coverage, the influx of concerned residents’ calls and emails, the amount of resources given to the case, and other issues.
Here is where we stand:
There have been 14 crimes total since the first one on May 27th;
9 home invasions with the victim home
2 attempted unsuccessful burglaries (same victim type targeted)
1 burglary where victim was not at home (same M.O.)
2 similar in Santa Monica and Culver City
So far, no gun used ….. Yet
(Since this meeting we have heard of another break-in on the 1200 block of Ashland Ave in Santa Monica. The same M.O. … Here is a link to the story
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26156200/ )
What We Know:
He is 5’ 10” to 6’, black male, 200-220 lbs, dark clothing, ski mask, gloves, breaks in from 2:00 am to 5:00 am, flashlight, screwdriver, through both secured and unsecured windows, asks for money, jewelry, valuables, ransacks residences methodically looking for items that can be easily carried, no TV’s or computers, etc..
He Is:
Familiar with the area
A professional
Targeting those less likely to resist (single elderly women 60-96 mostly at night)
Here are the issues that the police are facing:
The press and TV coverage is a concern to the detectives because names and addresses are getting out, causing victims and their families to become nervous. Too much exposure.
The calls and emails into the detectives are appreciated but are causing a delay in the investigation. Therefore, they ask that the Home Owners Associations be a contact point between the detectives and residents. The SLO’s (Senior Lead Officers) are charged in putting together the leads, evidence and other elements for the detectives. On the original Crime Bulletin the detectives were listed as contacts but apparently are being swamped with calls and emails, which they claim is straining their resources. This is taking too much time away, ¾ of their time in fact.
What we can do:
We want a quick end to this crime wave! Please send any comments, concerns and information regarding this case to me via this email
( westwoodgardens@gmail.com ) and I will forward them on to our SLO’s. This is a strong request from the Detectives that the HOA’s be used to condense and forward the resident info to help streamline the investigation and be more efficient. Of course, in an emergency, you must immediately call 911! The police are most intent on solving these crimes and are using any and all resources that are available to them to catch this criminal. They are also working with Santa Monica and Culver City law enforcement where this criminal has also struck. When he is captured, we all want the prosecution to stick. Therefore the detectives hope we understand that they might withhold some information from the press and the public.
Please do not conduct your own investigation. Leave that to the pros.
Know your neighbors and keep them informed. Especially the elderly. If your block does not already have a Neighborhood Watch Group, please consider forming one to help your neighbors stay connected and informed. We can help you facilitate this. Many elderly don’t have email, may not get the paper, or may not be connected to this situation.
The West LA Police want you to know that they have a Clue Sheet at the Butler Avenue station. If you care to personally visit the station with information, you can fill out that sheet. It is not available online.
In addition they added some tips for homeowners.
-Extra mounting locks for doors and windows.
-Put a male voice on the answering machine.
-Keep outside well lit, motion detector lights, clear bushes.
-Ask for ID for people coming door to door. (Remember that you don’t have to answer the door at all).
-A color surveillance camera system/security alarm system.
-Life Alert system or Baby Monitor.
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updated July 30, 2008
As many of you noticed there was great police activity around a neighbors house at the 2500 block of Westwood near Exposition Tuesday 7-29-08. I was at the scene and spoke to officers and detectives along with members of WOW home owners group, the WNC and other board members of WGCA. The police needed to limit the initial information due to the investigation in progress. Captain Eaton will update us further soon. This is what i can pass on at this time.
It was a robbery of an elderly woman sometime this afternoon.
She was roughed up by the robber. She has been taken to the hospital and is doing well.
Many of the aspects of this case mirror our criminal dubbed the "Silverware Bandit". But there are differences. The detective i spoke with thinks this very well may NOT be the same person as the other home invasion cases in our area.
An officer i spoke with assured me that they are well resourced to do the job and getting closer to catching our guy. I will inquire further on this point.
To clear some of the rumors,
It was not a homicide,
There is no one in custody
Although in her 90's the resident is safe.
The house was taped off only for evidence gathering.
I'll update you all as i get more information and speak with more law enforcement.
In the meantime STAY VIGILANT and INFORM YOUR NEIGHBORS especially those who don't have email and are not connected. this was a daylight incident. If it was the same guy, he's getting bolder. Inform the police if you see anything suspicious. BE SAFE. BE AWARE.
A few days ago a resident on Overland was approached by a woman asking information about a next door neighbor (who was an elderly woman living alone). This smart and aware neighbor didn't release any info to the woman about the neighbor, who it turns out was lying about the whole thing. The police were contacted right away. DON"T GIVE INFO TO STRANGERS.
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