Google Glass robbery victim threatened with Taser

VENICE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Venice resident was robbed of his Google Glass after being threatened with a Taser while sitting on his front porch Monday night.

Sam Nicolosi says his roommate was sitting outside, working on his laptop and Google Glass, when a man armed with a Taser demanded the electronics around 9:30 p.m.

"This guy was threatening him with an active Taser, and basically he just felt like being Tased wasn't worth his Google Glass or his computer, so he tossed it away, and the guy just took off," said Nicolosi.

The 28-year-old victim, who declined to talk to Eyewitness News on camera, told police the suspect ran through the alley toward his patio.

Just minutes before, that same suspect and another man were walking along the boardwalk when they first spotted the victim and approached him for a cigarette.

"We always hang out in the front, and now we don't really want to anymore," said Nicolosi.

Police believe the armed robbery is a crime of opportunity, similar to the increasingly common theft of smartphones.

LAPD officer Louis Lavender says anyone wearing Google Glass could become a target.

"They are a $1,500 pair of glasses. I don't expect them to catch on like the cell phones are, but they are a hot ticket item, they're a very small item and very expensive, so criminals will take advantage of that opportunity," said

In this case, the victim quickly turned over the computers - a smart move, according to police.

"If you're faced with that type of incident, the best thing you can do is give up your stuff. It's not worth injuring yourself or losing your life," said LAPD officer Louis Lavender.

Meantime, residents in the area say they are alarmed by the robbery.

"There seems to be an element coming from the beach from, I don't know if it's Hollywood or where it is, but a lot of things have changed, and the beach is not really the beach anymore," said Pete Kasper of Venice.