Robbery

Silver Lake Reservoir Robbers Target Joggers

Cops are on the lookout for two or three robbers who have targeted joggers around the Silver Lake Reservoir in recent weeks. So far the LAPD has only recorded two such crimes, including one last week, but the M.O.s are similar and there's no telling if the suspects will attack again:

AK-47 Bandit Is One Scary Bank Robber

The scariest bank robber ever? The FBI is turning up the heat on the so-called AK-47 Bandit, who has targeted, among other banks in the Western United States, a SoCal California Bank & Trust. Not only that, but the AK isn't fake. He pulled the trigger and injured a police officer, feds say:

Darnell and Tania Washington, Bonnie and Clyde of L.A. County, Wanted for Wild Crime Spree in Carjacked Minivan

An attractive Southern California couple is wanted in two counties this morning for the jailbreak and joyride of a lifetime. San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials say that 24-year-old robbery suspect Darnell Washington escaped from county jail on August 28 with the help of his wife, 25-year-old ... More >>

USC Cop Shoots Jeremy Hendricks, Suspect in Student Robbery, on Same Day as Memorial for Ying Wu and Ming Qu

Student and parent fears about the crime-ridden area surrounding USC have not been quelled, this morning, by another attempted robbery and shooting near campus. Just after 12:30 a.m., four students were walking near Pi Beta Phi sorority house on "The Row" near West 28th Street and Figueroa, accordi ... More >>

L.A. Sheriff's Creepy New Facial-Recognition Software Matches Surveillance Video With Mug Shot Database

The Lancaster station of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department got a little help from Big Brother in cracking its latest robbery spree: Of three armed robberies in Lancaster over eight days, one of the incidents was caught on surveillance tape. So Sheriff's investigators entered "a clear image of th ... More >>

Grandson Shot Trying to Save Grandpa During North Hollywood Robbery, LAPD Says

Updated at the bottom with two suspects arrested. The story changed after our first report (the victim was the grandson, not son), and our headline changed soon after to reflect that. First posted at 6:05 a.m. Jan. 10. A man was killed when he tried to defend his father during a robbery in North Ho ... More >>

West Hollywood Marijuana Dispensary The Farmacy Robbed of Weed, Cash: Three Suspects Quickly Nabbed

Correction after the jump: A dispensary worker says the suspects were tracked via a stolen smartphone and that they were previously unknown to the shop. Three men were arrested after a brazen robbery of West Hollywood's well-known marijuana dispensary called The Farmacy over the weekend. The heist ... More >>

iPhone Robbery Ends With LAPD Tracking Down Suspect Via App, Calling Device (it Rang!)

This stupid (alleged) criminal got narc'd on by an iPhone. That's right. Cops say that after the suspect robbed a woman at gunpoint and took her purse, they tracked him down with the help of the device's "Find My Phone" app. Dude actually had the phone on him when they found him at ...

Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. Magnets For Robbers, Violence, Organized Crime -- Report

Fox 11 NewsRobbery in progress.​Only weeks after RAND took a controversial study of marijuana dispensary crime off the shelf following questions about its validity, a Fox 11 News report gives at least anecdotal evidence that some pot shops are dangerous places (especially for people who work t ... More >>

Koreatown Jewerly Store Smash-And-Grab Robbery is Second One Since May: Security Guard 'Bludgeoned'

LAPDKtown takedown.​Another day another jewelry store smash-and-grab in Koreatown. This time cops say a parking lot security guard was "bludgeoned" as three suspects made their exits. He was put in a hospital in critical condition and was subsequently stabilized. The 11 a.m. heist at CC Diamo ... More >>

Teen Smash-And-Grab Robbery Suspect Arrested by LAPD With Help From His Own Parents

LAPDA Koreatown smash-and-grab.​Just be glad you're not this kid: A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with a smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery that happened downtown on July 12. And you know who cops say fingered him? His own parents. The teen wasn't identified because he's underage. ... More >>

Gabriel Ben Meir: Possible Suspect in MTV Murder Is 35-Year-Old Black Man With Wire Glasses, Gold Jewelry, Shotgun

Los Angeles TimesThe young victim​Update: Destiny Young (see below) was charged today with two counts of murder (one of which was allegedly related to Meir's demise) and five counts of second-degree robbery, the D.A.'s office announced. Jabaar Vincent Thomas and Richard Edward Anderson were hi ... More >>

Roadside Heist in Santa Ana: Masked Robbers Demand Cash From Women With Flat Tire

The beginning of a horror movie.​OK -- is it just us, or is there something majorly fishy about this story? The Santa Ana Police Department reported a theft yesterday from the shoulder of West Barbette Avenue, where a couple of women had allegedly just been stripped of thousands of dollars in ... More >>

Orange County Drive-Thru Robber With Plastic Bag On Head Nabbed After Another Failed Stick-Up At Jack In The Box

uncoverage.netWould you give this man your money?​It was one of the Weekly's best-loved robberies: when an unidentified man with a bag on his head tried to rob a Wendy's drive-thru in Fullerton last Tuesday. The man infamously pointed his gun at the employee and demanded money. Her reaction? ... More >>

Two Shot, Wounded In Northridge Pot Shop Robbery

Medical pot selling seems to attract violence.​Two people were wounded when robbers shot them at a Northridge pot shop Wednesday night. Because this kind of medicine-dispensing business is so safe and legit. The robbery at a cannabis store at Roscoe Boulevard and White Oak Avenue was reported ... More >>

West Hollywood Sees 20 Robberies In 30 Days: Three Possibly Connected Heists Reported Over The Weekend

LAPDThis suspect robbed a place in downtown L.A., not Weho. We just liked the photo.​Ah, West Hollywood: Swimming pools, movie stars, and lots of robberies. In fact, with 20 take downs in 30 days, it just might be the robbery capital of Southern California. Weho Daily reports the robbery surg ... More >>

Deputy Shoots At Innocent West Hollywood Liquor Store Clerk Lincoln Amara Following Robbery

CBS2​A West Hollywood liquor store clerk was robbed at gunpoint early Sunday only be shot at by at least one responding sheriff's deputy. Bad day, yes, but the uninjured man told TV news reporters he was not mad at the law officers and was actually glad to see them -- even with guns blazing. ... More >>

Brandon Lincoln, L.A. Homicide No. 180: Jewelry store owner shoots armed robbers in Wilmington

​A suspect who was fatally shot by a Wilmington jewelry store owner in a robbery gone awry August 18 has been identified as 20-year-old Brandon Lincoln. The store owner also shot another robbery suspect. A third suspect was arrested and a fourth remained at large. The botched robbery attempt o ... More >>

Beverly Hills Fur Store Robbed In Broad Daylight

​Updated at 5:30 p.m. with police now saying suspects were armed. A Beverly Hills fur store on South Robertson Boulevard was robbed in broad daylight Monday afternoon, Beverly Hills police confirmed to LA Weekly. A sergeant said at least two suspects were armed, but further descriptions were ... More >>

Koreatown Bank Robbed, Suspect Search Underway

Google Maps​Authorities on Tuesday afternoon were searching for a suspect or suspects who robbed a Bank of America in Koreatown, a sergeant at the Los Angeles Police Department's Olympic Division told the Weekly. An active search was underway around the bank at 3442 Wilshire Blvd., he said. T ... More >>

Northridge Pot Shop Worker Forth Medical Marijuana Employee Shot In Last Week In Los Angeles

​A pot shop worker was shot and wounded during the robbery of a Northridge dispensary over the weekend -- the third medical marijuana robbery the ended in gunfire in the last week, police said. The heist at MediMar, 8924 Reseda Blvd., was reproted at 9 p.m. Saturday, said Capt. Kevin McClure ... More >>

Today In WTF: Would-Be Robber In Lakers Uniform Gets Ass Kicked By Security Guard In Downtown Los Angeles

​A suspected robber dressed in a Lakers uniformed got his ass kicked by a security guard downtown but eventually got away, prompting police this week to distribute his description in an attempt to catch the low scorer. The robbery attempt at West Third and Figueroa streets in Bunker Hill was ... More >>

20-Year-Old Had His Teeth Knocked Out During Robbery Of His Medical Marijuana Stash

​A 20-year-old had his two front teeth knocked out by a street robber in the Inland Empire who wanted his recently obtained stash of medical marijuana, authorities say. The pot mugging took place about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday at Cypress Avenue and Hibiscus Drive in Redlands, according to the Inlan ... More >>

Lily Burk's Killer Pleads Guilty, Avoids Death Sentence

An ex-con pleaded guilty this afternoon to the murder of Lily Burk, a 17-year-old Los Feliz girl who was kidnapped and later killed inside her car near downtown Los Angeles. Lily Burk​Charlie Samuel, 50, avoided the death penalty by pleading to the July 24, 2009 slaying. He faces life in pris ... More >>

Robbery Suspect Fatally Shot By Police On The Westside

Google Maps​A Culver City police officer fatally shot a robbery suspect near Venice Boulveard and Motor Avenue in the Westside Los Angeles community of Palms, just outside Culver City, authorities said. Officers on Sunday were responding to a noontime robbery call at a nearby Radio Shack when ... More >>

Pot Dispensary Robberies Plague Downtown

Google Maps606 E. Fourth St. downtown.​The robbery of a Skid Row medical marijuana dispensary this week was one of five such crimes downtown in the last 18 months, police told blogdowntown. "I know of 14 clinics just in downtown Los Angeles, and five were robbed in the last 18 months," Lt. P ... More >>

Home Invaders Hit Possible Rap-Label House In The Hills

​A strange home-invasion robbery unfolded over the weekend in a tony part of Woodland hills, on Mulholland Drive, at a home that might or might not be connected to Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. It was reported about 2 a.m. Sunday at 22146 Mulholland Dr., said Los Angeles police Sgt. Pablo Monterrosa ... More >>

Valentine's Robbers Die In Fatal Crash After Police Pursuit

​Two cousins who allegedly robbed a Valentine's gift stand near downtown early Sunday led police on a subsequent vehicle pursuit that ended with the pair dying in a crash. It started about 4:30 a.m Sunday when armed suspects robbed a street-side gift vendor at Adams Boulevard and San Pedro St ... More >>

Lily Burk's Alleged Killer Charged with New Felony Counts at Preliminary Hearing

A parolee who is accused of kidnapping and killing a 17-year-old Los Feliz teen was charged today with two new felony counts at a preliminary hearing in downtown Los Angeles. ​ Los Angeles County prosecutors charged 50-year-old Charlie Samuel with one felony count each of carjacking and kid ... More >>

Today In WTF: Geezer Allegedly Uses Stun-Gun To Rob Own Bank, Gets Arrested

LAPDThe suspected 'stun-gun bandit' on tape.​If anyone out there is compiling a list of pitfalls for bank robbers, you might add robbing your own bank to the list. It's not clear, however, that familiarity among his victims brought the 68-year-old suspect believed to be the "stun-gun bandit" d ... More >>

Housekeeper Suspected In Brazen Home Invasion In Laurel Canyon

​The Los Angeles District Attorney's office says that brazen home-invasion in Laurel Canyon this week in which a resident and his dog were shot was carried out in part by a 24-year-old who had been a housekeeper at the home. The suspect, Elizabeth Hernandez, was officially fingered in the cap ... More >>

Home-Invasion Shooting Leads To Car Chase

​A man and his dog were shot in a Laurel Canyon home-invasion robbery that led to a car chase, with officers ultimately arresting four suspects in the Mid-City area, Los Angeles police said. Police responding to a call of a robbery in progress in the 8200 block of Mannix Dr. about 1:40 a.m. T ... More >>

It's A Family Affair: Couple Brings Kids Along On Alleged Robbery Spree

CHPFile photo.​We've heard of families that do everything together, but this is ridiculous. Los Angeles police report that a couple took a 6- and 4-year-old along for an alleged, early morning robbery spree in the San Fernando Valley Monday. The suspects hit a Rite Aid at 13333 Riverside Driv ... More >>

Mother Is Looking For $?: Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested

In the ever expanding times-are-hard news file comes another desperate story: An unemployed mother of five was arrested in San Diego in connection with a series of bank robberies.FBIA woman suspected in a string of robberies is captured on video.​ Roxanne Renee Pennock was arrested after she ... More >>

Shootings Rock The Westside (Updated)

UPDATED: Whomever says the Westside sees no action hasn't been paying attention this week. On Tuesday night a 20-year-old man was fatally shot in Santa Monica and early Thursday morning Los Angeles police opened fire on a robbery suspect, wounding the boy in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Ang ... More >>

Craiglist Home-Invasion Suspects Nabbed

Los Angeles police today announced the arrests of two men suspected of robbing victims who had posted message-services advertisements on Craigslist. Cops say one of the two would pose as a customer, arrive at the business location -- in both cases, the victims' homes -- hold the each victim at gunpo ... More >>

Police Nab Medical Marijuana Bandits

The Los Angeles Police Department detectives have identified three men involved in the robbery of a marijuana clinic last April. One of the three men was nabbed through DNA analysis after he cut himself and left blood at the scene. ​ According to police reports, the three men, one of whom ... More >>

Murder was the Case: LA Homicide No. 246, Victim Identified in Robbery Gone Bad

A man who was killed in a robbery gone bad in South L.A. has been identified as 28-year-old Reginald Hendrix Jr. According to police, Hendrix Jr. was attempting a robbery when he was chased by the man he intended to rob. Hendrix Jr. and his intended victim got into a scuffle and the latter was shot ... More >>

Murder Was the Case: L.A. Homicide No. 246, Man Killed in Robbery Gone Bad

A man was killed in a robbery gone bad in South L.A. today. According to police, a man was attempting a robbery when he was chased by the man he intended to rob. The robbery suspect and his intended victim got into a scuffle and the latter was shot. The shooting occurred at 9 a.m. around 74th and M ... More >>

Murder Was the Case: L.A. Homicide No. 192, One Dead, Three Arrested in Robbery Case

UPDATE: Los Angeles Police officials today released additional information about the shooting incident in which 19-year-old Jessie Long was killed.View Larger Map According to reports, Detectives Donald Walthers and Jeff Nolte were part of a surveillance team monitoring a cell phone store in the 5 ... More >>

Suspect Sought in String of Armed Robberies of Eastside Taco Trucks

Amy Scattergoodtaco truck at night​The LA Times reported yesterday that at least 22 Eastside taco truck vendors have been robbed, at gunpoint, over the last few months. 22 robberies have been reported, but police assume that there have likely been more that have gone unreported, due to fear wi ... More >>

Murder Was the Case: L.A. Homicide No. 145, LAPD Officers Involved in Fatal Shooting

A robbery suspect was killed last night after an altercation with Los Angeles Police Department officers in West Los Angeles. According to preliminary reports, the officers encountered the robbery suspects at the corner of Iowa and Purdue avenues around 11:15 p.m. on July 6. One of the suspects wa ... More >>

Murder was the Case: LA Homicide No. 119, Man Kills Suspect in Home Invasion Robbery in Harbor Gateway Area

A man shot and killed one of three Hispanic men in a home invasion robbery in the Harbor Gateway area yesterday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The three robbers burst into the man's home around 11:15 a.m. May 31 in the 1600 block of West 215th Street and got into a physical alter ... More >>

Murder was the Case: LA Homicide No. 119, Man Kills Suspect in Home Invasion Robbery in Harbor Gateway Area

A man shot and killed one of three Hispanic men in a home invasion robbery in the Harbor Gateway area yesterday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. View Larger Map The three robbers burst into the man's home around 11:15 a.m. May 31 in the 1600 block of West 215th Street and got int ... More >>

Daryl Gates to Bill Bratton: 1956 Statistic 'Meaningless'

On April 30th, L.A. Weekly published a cover story ("Bratton: LA Is as safe as 1956") that questioned the validity of Los Angeles Police Department Chief Bill Bratton's insistence that this city's streets are as safe as 1956.  We've received a lot of feedback from readers about our findings and ... More >>

Bratton: L.A. Is as Safe as 1956

Except the chief is manipulating numbers and acting like a politician

A Life of Letters

Real Crime in Hollywood

Several suspects hauled in for robbery spree

Pet Shop Murder

It looked like a simple shooting, but the Pets R Us killing exposed an organized-crime network running credit-card and recycling fraud. And one of its leaders, Sarkis Antonyan, a.k.a. Little Al Capone, had two bullets in his head.