WEST HILLS, TARZANA : Sketch of Robbery Suspect Released

Los Angeles police on Friday released a composite drawing of a man suspected of committing two recent “follow-home” robberies in West Hills and Tarzana.

Although detectives have a drawing of only one robber, Detective Al Aird said a second man also was involved in the crimes, which occurred March 10 and 11.

The victims, both women, were followed home from grocery stores and robbed in their garages, with the thieves taking expensive rings. Both victims drove expensive cars, but Aird said the robbers apparently got close enough to the victims at some point to see that they were wearing expensive jewelry. The robberies differ from other recent follow-home robberies in the San Fernando Valley, Aird said, because they occurred in the daytime and the robbers already knew what they wanted when they arrived at the victims’ houses. On both occasions, the robber said, “Give me the ring.”

“You could be driving the worst car in the world,” Aird said. “These guys are looking for a big rock on your finger.” Neither victim was seriously injured, he said.

In the first robbery, a 43-year-old woman drove her car home to the 24000 block of Arminta Street at 1:15 p.m. from a market at Topanga Canyon and Roscoe boulevards. When she emerged from her car she was accosted by two men who demanded her ring. In the second, in the 18900 block of La Amistad Place at 4:30 p.m., a 49-year-old woman was robbed as she stepped out of her car.