Man shot during attempted street robbery in South L.A.

A man was shot in South Los Angeles Tuesday night during a botched street robbery, police said.

The shooting occurred at 11:30 p.m. on the corner of Imperial Highway and Olive Street in the community of Vermont Vista when the victim said he felt a sharp pain in his torso. When he looked down, he saw blood and realized that he had been shot, according to Los Angeles Police Officer Liliana Preciado.

When the man turned around, he saw someone approach him and demand his bookbag. At that point, the victim threw his bookbag over a fence, foiling the theft.

The victim, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound. He is refusing to cooperate with police, Preciado said.

There are no known gang ties, she said.

In the last week, there have been eight violent crimes reported in the neighborhood, most of them assaults, according the L.A. Times crime mapping database.

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