Reseda : Robbers Posing as Police Attack Tenant

Three men posing as police officers forced their way into a Reseda man’s apartment, tied him up and robbed him Thursday evening.

Det. Robert Johansen said three unidentified men knocked on George Beach’s apartment door in the 19600 block of Sherman Way shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday. Beach, who was home alone watching TV at the time, asked who was there.

When the suspects answered that they were police officers, Beach, 31, opened the door, Johansen said. The men pulled guns, knocked Beach down and forced their way into his apartment, police said.

Once inside, they tied up Beach with belts and a phone cord before searching the apartment for items to steal, police said. They took a handgun and about $700 in jewelry and cash, Johansen said.

Police said Beach, who received only minor injuries in the incident, had lived in the apartment for three weeks and apparently did not know the men. After the robbers left, he broke free from the belts and cord and ran to a neighbor’s home to report the incident, Johansen said.

“It’s rather unusual that they acted like police officers,” Johansen said. “They normally say someone’s name. Whoever lived there in the past had something these people wanted.”