La Thieves ‘kidnap’ Tourists in Follow-Home Robbery, Steal $70k: Police

La Thieves 'kidnap' Tourists in Follow-Home Robbery, Steal $70k Police

During a follow-home robbery in which police say suspects got off with $75,000 in stolen merchandise, a group of visitors from northern California were kidnapped at gunpoint.

The incident occurred at 1:35 a.m. Wednesday when four guys left a Beverly Grove restaurant after a birthday celebration and returned to the Airbnb house they were renting in the 2400 block of Coldwater Canyon Drive in Beverly Crest.

The victims told police they thought an SUV was tailing them, so they drove past the house and did a U-turn, thinking they had gotten away from it. However, after parking in the driveway and exiting the vehicle, they were confronted by three armed individuals who demanded that they hand up their jewels.

According to authorities, one of the suspects had a rifle, while the other two had handguns.

Police have classified the event as a “kidnapping” during the follow-home robbery since the perpetrators allegedly ordered the victims into the residence at gunpoint. The four men were forced to lie down on the floor once inside while the three suspects ransacked the house.

According to Fox 11 Los Angeles, the suspects got off with an estimated $75,000 in stolen stuff, which included cash, fancy watches, designer clothing, and purses.

“This one is worrisome in that the victims were forced to walk inside of a property where they were taken from a safer, in front of public view, out into a residence,” Los Angeles Police Department Det. Chris Marsden told KABC-TV. “It’s a kidnapping, which is punishable by up to life in prison if we catch them.”

The incident resulted in no significant injuries. Males between the ages of 19 and 25 were described as suspects. According to KABC, police believe the crime is not gang-related.

Nonetheless, it occurred a week after the Los Angeles Police Department established a task force to combat at least 17 gangs suspected of committing follow-home robberies and other attacks against wealthy residents in order to steal luxury items such as jewellery, designer handbags, and high-end vehicles to sell on the black market.

Marsden told KTLA, “It’s become an alarming crime trend.”

“In these cases, we’ve made a lot of arrests,” he added. “I’m convinced we’ll catch them,” says the narrator.

Detectives from the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) are asking anyone with information to call (213) 486-6840 or email [email protected].

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