Robbery Victim Followed Home by 2 Assailants

A Pasadena motorist was shot at and robbed by two men who followed him home Monday to Upper Hastings Ranch--the same affluent neighborhood where a woman was killed by follow-home robbers last October, police said.

A suspect in the slaying of pharmacist Jolene Hori, 34, is in custody, but this week’s holdup triggered fears among neighborhood residents and prompted Pasadena police to seek connections between the latest incident and similar crimes in the Los Angeles area in recent months.

“I think it’s part of a rash of follow-home robberies that have been occurring in the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys,” Pasadena Police Lt. Van Anthony said. “Usually, the victims are wearing expensive jewelry, are carrying large sums of cash and are driving one of three types of cars: a high-end Mercedes-Benz, a Jaguar or a Rolls-Royce.”

Anthony said robbers often spot a victim on a freeway, follow the car and draw guns when the car stops outside a home.

Just before 2 a.m. Monday, Sam Moushegh Simonian, 26, who owns a business in San Gabriel, was returning home after visiting a friend in Glendale, he told police.

Near Riviera Drive and Alegria Avenue, Simonian noticed a car following his red 1986 Mercedes-Benz convertible and pulled over to let it pass, Anthony said. Instead, the other car, a gray 1991 or 1992 Volkswagen sedan containing two men wearing ski masks, pulled in front and blocked his path.

When a man with a gun stepped out, Simonian put his car into reverse in an attempt to escape but backed into a tree, Anthony said. The gunman fired at least four shots that barely missed Simonian.

“Two bullets went into the headrest behind the driver,” Anthony said. “The side window was shattered. He was lucky.”

After Simonian stepped out of the car, the gunman demanded his wallet, jacket and slacks. Simonian handed over the items, then ran off. He was not pursued.

Paramedics treated Simonian for facial cuts he received when the bullets shattered his car window.

The loss included $500 in cash, a portable telephone, credit cards and the clothing.

The Simonian robbery occurred a few blocks from the Riviera Drive house where Hori was shot to death last Oct. 18. The pharmacist and a friend had just driven up when two men tried to take the friend’s purse, police said. Hori was fatally wounded in a struggle.

Officers arrested Rashidia K. Jake, 22, formerly of Harbor City. He will stand trial on nine counts in the Hori slaying and two similar holdups last October in Pasadena.

About an hour after Simonian was held up, businessman George Banafsheha, 33, was shot to death and robbed in his Mercedes-Benznear his Tarzana home.

Pasadena investigators are comparing reports with other police agencies to determine whether the Simonian robbery is connected with any other follow-home holdups in the region, Anthony said.

Police said motorists, particularly those with expensive cars, should watch for anyone following them. If someone continues to follow after several quick turns, the motorist should drive to a police station, flag down a police car or call for help if the car has a telephone, Anthony said.