LOS ANGELES, CA – Seven people were arrested this week in connection with two separate robbery investigations in West Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station.
The station reported the arrests Wednesday, Oct. 14. Three people were arrested in connection with a robbery reported at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, near Westbourne Drive and Rugby Drive, and four were taken into custody in a second robbery in the early hours of Monday, Oct. 12, near Poinsettia Place and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The arrests come after a string of robberies in the city. West Hollywood Sheriff’s Captain Fanny Lapkin announced additional patrols, including in the Rainbow District.
An arrest is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
Watch and gold bracelet taken near Westbourne Drive
In the first case, a victim reported being assaulted and robbed of a watch and a gold bracelet. The robbery was reported at about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 10 near Westbourne Drive and Rugby Drive.
The department did not release the victim’s identity. The station said three people were arrested on suspicion of robbery in the case.
License plate data helped deputies find the vehicle
Deputies located the suspect vehicle using information from the victim together with data from automated license plate reader cameras. The department said that combination helped lead to the three arrests.
The station had said on Oct. 9 that it would use available technology platforms and work with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau to identify offenders in the recent violent crimes. That update came the day before the Westbourne Drive robbery was reported.
Four masked suspects confronted victims on Poinsettia Place
The second case involved two victims who reported being robbed by four masked suspects in the early hours of Monday, Oct. 12. Deputies responded to the 1100 block of Poinsettia Place, near Santa Monica Boulevard.
The Sheriff’s Department said a man returning to his vehicle was confronted by four masked men who got out of a black BMW and pointed a firearm at him. The suspects demanded his property and fled. No injuries were reported.
Imitation firearm and stolen property recovered
A speeding black BMW was stopped on Melrose Avenue shortly afterward and was identified as the suspects’ vehicle. The four occupants were taken into custody.
Items taken from the victim and an imitation firearm were recovered from the car, the department said. According to initial reports, all four were arrested on suspicion of robbery under Penal Code Section 211 and booked at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.
The identities of the four suspects were not released.
Added patrols in the Rainbow District
Lapkin said additional deputies were on patrol starting Saturday, Oct. 10. “This increased presence is intended to deter criminal activity, strengthen visibility, and provide reassurance to our community,” she said in a statement to the press.
The station said in its Oct. 9 update that it would increase patrols throughout the city, including the Rainbow District. Lapkin said more deputies would patrol the Rainbow District and throughout West Hollywood.
Arrests not tied to Keegan Allen robbery
Neither group of arrests has been connected to the Oct. 8 robbery of actor Keegan Allen, which remains unsolved. According to initial reports, that robbery happened in the 8400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard at about 9:05 p.m., and two masked men were involved.
Law enforcement said the four people arrested Oct. 12 were not related to that case. No arrests have been announced in it.
City and county officials respond
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said Tuesday, Oct. 13, that she had contacted Lapkin and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Every resource is available to the LA County Sheriff’s Department” to identify those responsible and restore safety, she said.
The City of West Hollywood also published an official statement affirming its commitment to public safety following the recent incidents.
The city’s open data portal publishes year-to-date crime data for West Hollywood, drawn from crime data published by the Sheriff’s Department and updated monthly.
Investigation remains active
The Sheriff’s Department had not released the names of the seven people arrested or announced charges. Anyone with information about either case is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station.
The robbery of Allen remains under investigation, and the added patrols in West Hollywood continue.
