Robbers Steal $57,000 in Cash and Jewelry in 2 Incidents

Police on Tuesday sought three men who robbed victims of about $57,000 in cash and jewelry in two separate incidents.

“I don’t believe the incidents are related,” said Los Angeles Police Det. Robert Johansen.

In the first incident, two women coming home about 3 a.m. Tuesday to a residence in the 23700 block of Brenford Street were confronted by a man already inside armed with a semiautomatic pistol, who demanded their jewelry and money, Johansen said.

The man also demanded other jewelry he seemed to know was in the house and forced the women to retrieve it, Johansen said. “It gives us the opinion that he [knew] his victims,” Johansen said.

The robber--described as an African American, age 20 to 25 and weighing about 190 pounds--escaped with about $50,000 worth of jewelry and cash, authorities said. The women were not hurt.

About an hour later, at a residence in the 5000 block of Calderon Road about three miles away, a man coming home from working late was confronted by two men approaching his garage, Johansen said.

The man shut the garage door, but his dog activated the safety stop and the door began to reopen, allowing two robbers--one armed with a semiautomatic pistol--inside, Johansen said.

The men demanded his wallet and the unarmed assailant ordered his partner to shoot the victim, but instead they fled on foot with about $7,000 when the victim’s son turned on lights inside the house.

The gunman was described as an African American, about 25 years old, 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, Johansen said. The second man was described as an African American, about 21, 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds.

The cases were probably unrelated because different techniques were used, Johansen said.