Two individuals were robbed at gunpoint in the early hours of Aug. 3 outside the popular West Hollywood eatery Craig’s on the 8800 block of Melrose Avenue. According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department, the victims were approached by perpetrators armed with semiautomatic weapons who demanded jewelry and watches. The robbers, described as males in their late teens or early 20s, fled in a white sedan driven by a third person. At least one watch was taken and no injuries were reported, according to sheriffs.
A similar robbery took place in West Hollywood on July 19. That crime was captured on video and took place shortly after midnight on the 800 block of Larrabee Street one block east of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards. The video posted on social media by the Sheriff ’s Department shows three individuals (two armed with a handgun, one with a rifle) pulling up in a black SUV as a man walks on the sidewalk. The individuals exit the vehicle and proceed to shove the man against a fence. They then knock him to the ground, pointing guns at him as they take his cell phone and wallet. Despite published reports speculating that the two incidents are related, the Courier has not confirmed this as a working theory with the Sheriff ’s Department as of press time. Law enforcement officials are, however, asking for the public’s help in both cases. Anyone with information about either of these incidents is urged to contact Detective Candice Gonzales with the West Hollywood Sheriff ’s Station at 310-358-4011 or by email at c2mgonza@lasd.org. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
