Violent Struggle Over Purse Among Rash Of Robberies In Koreatown
KOREATOWN (CBSLA.com) — A violent struggle over a purse recently captured on video is among a series of robberies authorities are warning the public about in Koreatown.
The Dec. 30 robbery occurred at an apartment complex in the 400 block of Westmoreland Avenue was captured in security footage, which shows a young woman getting her mail before walking toward the lobby's elevator.
Within seconds, the suspect wearing a hooded sweatshirt is seen following her and a violent struggle ensues, KCAL9's Rachel Kim reported.
The footage shows the woman being slammed onto the floor, kicked and punched before her purse is taken. The victim did not sustain major injuries.
"Well, that is scary. He was relentless," said Robyn Skinner, an apartment resident, upon viewing the footage.
"As a young person myself, especially since I work at night sometimes, it's pretty scary just to see it," said Kimberly Julia, another apartment resident.
Investigators believe the same suspect is responsible for three other attacks over the course of the past three months.
The other robberies occurred Dec. 23 and Nov. 9 in the 300 block of North Alexandria Avenue and Nov. 23 in the 500 block of North Hobart Boulevard.
In each, police say, the suspect follows a lone woman into an elevator, punches her and then makes off with her purse.
All the robberies have occurred late at night.
Police said that during the third attack, the suspect sexually battered the victim.
"That's the concerning part. This is escalating to the point where it's becoming quite violent, and we really want to take him into custody right now," Los Angeles police Officer Jack Richter said.
Police said that in all the attacks, the suspect wore the same sweatshirt and shorts. They described him as a Hispanic man between the age of 20 and 30. He is 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 and weighs 130 to 170 pounds.
Anyone with more information was asked to call LAPD Olympic Division Robbery Detectives at (213) 382-9460.