The Los Angeles Police Department released a community safety bulletin on a series of home invasion robberies. Though most of the victims are Asian Americans, police said they aren't being targeted because of their race.
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"The race is just a secondary factor," said LAPD Robbery Homicide Division Capt. Scot Williams. "The fact that they are Asian has less to do with it, I believe, as it is they have money that they're being targeted for. It could be because they're business owners, it could be for financial institutions that they frequent. We haven't fleshed that out enough to say definitively what it is that connects these victims together, but we do believe that the suspects are targeting them for some reason, and have some reason to believe that they have money."
LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division says each incident has involved two to three suspects. Some of the incidents have taken place on the Westside, others in the San Fernando Valley.
Citywide, residential burglaries and robberies reported by LAPD are down from pre-pandemic levels. However, those reported over the last year having Asian American victims are higher than previous levels. Crimes like these tend to be underreported.
"We have a very similar suspect description in each of these cases," said Williams.
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Police says preventative measures include locking all doors, windows and ensuring your surveillance cameras and alarms are working.
If you are driving and notice that you're being followed, call 911 or drive to the nearest police station. If you're being robbed, do not resist the suspects. Simply cooperate and be a good witness.
Anyone with information on this crime trend is urged to call LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division.