Man is abducted from Cheviot Hills home, released in Glendale, in a case of mistaken identity, police say
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Five people broke into a home in West Los Angeles, tied up the occupants and kidnapped a man, later releasing him near a gas station in Glendale, in what the Los Angeles Police Department believes to be a case of mistaken identity.
At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, police were alerted to a home invasion in the 9800 block of Vicar Street in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood. Five men wearing masks and all black were reported to have broken in, and they had at least one firearm, said Los Angeles Police Officer Drake Madison.
The assailants abducted a man wearing blue boxer shorts, also stealing an iPhone, iPad and Apple watch, Madison said.
The other victims in the house were tied up, according to Madison. He noted that LAPD officers, after arriving at the house, called an ambulance for a 35-year-old pregnant woman suffering from an anxiety attack.
In a release on Monday, LAPD officials said the suspects repeatedly referred to the victim by a different name. Police believe the suspects may have been seeking out the previous resident of the home, who they described as a “high-profile” person. The home was sold in early April and listed for rent shortly afterward, according to Zillow.
The abductors also attempted, unsuccessfully, to transfer money from the victim’s phone banking applications, police said.
The man who was abducted was let go 22 miles away, next to a gas station in the 2100 block of Verdugo Boulevard, near where the 210 Freeway intersects with the 2 Freeway on the border of Glendale and the unincorporated area of Montrose.
There were no reports that an ambulance was called for the man, Madison said.
The abductors were last seen in a black pickup truck. Detectives have been canvassing the neighborhood and going through any surveillance videos for leads.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or go to www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Times staff writers Julia Wick and Kaitlyn Huamani contributed to this report.
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