Reports of recent crime in the neighborhood have got everyone buzzing about being more vigilant, especially when out walking in the evening.
This week, Hancock Park residents reported a man with a hand gun confronted a man walking at 4th and June Street on Tuesday evening about 7:30 pm. The suspect pointed the gun at the victim and demanded the victim’s cell phone and wallet. According to SSA Security, the victim didn’t have a wallet so he gave his cell phone to the suspect who then ran east on 4th street into a waiting car.
LAPD provided the following information: The suspect was a male African-American, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall, heavy set, wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and a bandana covering his face. He left the scene in a blue, newer model Audi four-door sedan…possibly driven by a female African-American.
According to SSA, another similar incident was reported in West Hollywood. Senior Lead Officer Joe Pelayo posted a report about a similar incident on Plymouth on NextDoor.com. Residents in Windsor Square, also on NextDoor, shared reports of  more cell phone robberies. According to one resident,  “in each case,  a single African American male wearing a grey hoodie engaged people entering social events, then “put a gun in their backs and demanded their cellphones.”  According to another neighbor who spoke to police, LAPD has reason to believe that there is a group of youths from the Lancaster area who sweep through LA neighborhoods periodically for a night of stealing cellphones from unsuspecting pedestrians.
The Buzz was not able to confirm the connection to the Lancaster area.
A Hancock Park resident reported hearing noises and then the sound of glass breaking on the 300 block of N. McCadden Place across the street from a home under construction. When the resident yelled out, “what are you doing,” three young men took off on foot. The police found a bottle of alcohol smashed outside the building and a backpack containing a roofing axe.
“I don’t like to walk at night anymore,” a Hancock Park resident told the Buzz, “I wish everyone would get SSA, it’s an investment in your safety and the neighborhood’s safety.”
But not all the incidents occurred at night.  A car was broken into and ransacked, though only loose change was taken from an unlocked vehicle parked in a backyard near Larchmont and Beverly North early last Friday morning. Apparently, the  individual walked up the driveway with a white bike.  The photo (at left) of the suspect was captured by a RING security camera in the backyard.
Steve Cohen, owner of Village Pizzeria on Larchmont, told the Buzz a laptop was stolen out of a car of one his vendors on Tuesday morning, just before lunchtime. Cohen’s security camera’s captured an image of a man on a bike who’d been in the alley with a large bag collecting cans. The man can be seen in the photo below, riding off with the laptop in the large bag while the owner is watching. According to Cohen, it all happened very quickly.
“From the videos I watched,” Cohen told the Buzz, “he (the suspect) rode up as soon as he parked behind the white truck entered, filled his back pack and quickly rode off south down the alley looking at beer man directly as he rode off.”
LAPD offers the following advice on being aware of your surroundings at all time and other ways to avoid danger.
- Be aware of your surroundings at all times and observe people/activities around you.
- Look confident and purposeful when you walk and avoid walking alone if possible.
- Always remove your keys and lock your car doors when you exit your car even if you are only gone for just a minute.
- If you notice someone following you when you’re driving, head for the nearest busy brightly-lit area. Write down the license number, make, and model of the car. Call 911 or your local emergency number.
- Don’t leave valuables or packages in your car in plain view. Leave them in the trunk or take them home immediately.
- If you carry a purse, hold it close to your body. If you carry a wallet, keep it in your front pants pocket.
- Become familiar with stores and gas stations that stay open late at night, as well as LAPD, Sheriff, California Highway Patrol, and Los Angeles Fire Department locations.
- When traveling, carry only the necessary credit/ ATM cards you absolutely need. Leave the others cards at home in a secure location.
- Always carry proper identification.
- Choose a route in advance that is safe and populated.
- Advise a friend or relative the route you will be taking so they know where to look for you in case of an emergency.
- If you are listening to the radio or music on an IPOD or other device, play it at a volume that allows you to hear your surroundings.
- Vary your route so that your behavior is not predictable to others.
- Avoid pursuing outdoor activities after dark
