Robbers Tie Up 2 Women, Steal Safe

In the latest in a string of home invasion robberies in the West Valley, at least two men forced their way into a Tarzana home Tuesday, bound two women and made off with a 1,000-pound safe, police said.

The robbers took $300,000 to $400,000 in cash and jewelry in the 10:30 a.m. robbery on the 5700 block of Aura Avenue, said Det. Bob Howe of the LAPD’s West Valley Division. The victims, a woman in her 60s who lives at the house and her maid, a woman in her 20s, suffered minor injuries.

Armed with at least one gun--a blued steel automatic--the men bound the women and ransacked the house. Because the safe had been inside an upstairs closet, police said, the robbers might have had accomplices.

One man was described as in his early 20s, about 6 feet tall and 170 to 200 pounds, Howe said. He said the other man, who wore a tie and dark suit, was darker, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 140 to 150 pounds.

The Tarzana robbery followed a home-invasion robbery Sunday night in which three masked robbers with handguns forced their way into a West Hills house in the 22600 block of Kittridge Street, subdued five people and took more than $20,000 in cash and jewelry. No one was injured in the West Hills attack, police said.

The West Valley has had more than five home-invasion robberies in the last couple of months, Howe said, but added that Tuesday’s robbery did not seem to be connected with the Sunday incident.

Police are asking anyone with more information about the crime to call West Valley robbery detectives at (818) 756-8546.