Suspects armed with apparent assault rifle rob trio of victims in West Hollywood: Surveillance video
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- A trio of victims were robbed by a group of suspects, one of them armed with an apparent assault rifle, in an incident captured on video Tuesday night in West Hollywood.
The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. on a sidewalk at the end of an alleyway near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Orlando Avenue.
"A male suspect armed with what appeared to be an assault rifle, and two female suspects armed with a handgun, approached two men as they were walking in an alley and demanded their property," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement, adding that one of the robbers hit one of the victims in the face with a handgun.
Video from a camera mounted in the alley shows one of the suspects pointing the rifle in the direction of the victims.
"A man walking on the sidewalk interrupted the robbery and the suspects demanded his property and he complied," the sheriff's news release said.
The robbers made off with a wallet, jewelry and an unspecified amount of cash. No gunfire or injuries were reported.
The Sheriff's Department "is actively investigating to make sure that this person is caught," West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne told ABC7. "Typically, we also ask for increased patrols in the areas where crime happens, to make sure that the person doesn't come back and commit that crime."
Shyne said the city's Security Ambassador program is comprised of 85 ambassadors on residential streets and in commercial corridors to deter crime.
"It's worked, because crime has gone down," the mayor said. "Priority for us is safety and we are safer than we have been in the past."
However, some West Hollywood residents and business owners are pointing to this case as another result of the city's move to defund its law enforcement.
WATCH: WeHo residents fear security ambassadors aren't enough after assault
Last summer, the West Hollywood City Council voted to cut four Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies from its force and boost the number of security ambassadors, but some say that might not be the solution to tackling crime.
"More eyes who are noticing what's happening, lots more calls but less arms and legs to respond to the calls," said Larry Block, a West Hollywood business owner who believes the city needs to return the funding it cut from the sheriff's department to get more deputies out in the streets.
"Armed people can do something, they're intimidating, the security ambassadors walk around aimlessly, not really knowing what to do," said Block.
Eyewitness News looked into the number of robberies in West Hollywood, going back to 2010. Robberies increased last year compared to 2020 and 2021 and though the number is lower than many previous years, 2022 is still higher than the 13-year average of 117.
"Crime is going to happen," said Shyne. "It's a sad state of the country right now, especially with the lack of gun control and guns rampant everywhere, but we prioritize safety so our city is safe and I want people to know that."
Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to call Detective Zeff of the sheriff's West Hollywood station at (310) 358-4033 and refer to case number 923-02295-0977-031.
