An incident of alarming home invasion occurred early this morning when five masked and armed men entered an Airbnb in East Hollywood, tying up six individuals inside the rental property. As reported by NBC Los Angeles, the assault happened on the 400 block of North Heliotrope Drive before dawn. The robbers, who had rifles and handguns, left with valuables such as purses and bags.
The victims, a group on a visit from Minnesota, had recently arrived in Los Angeles. According to a neighbor's account given to KTLA, there is growing concern that short-term rentals might be negatively impacting neighborhood safety. "All these buildings are destroying L.A. and it's sad to me…because there are no real people living here, just people visiting," said Alma Noubleau, a long-time resident.
Responding to the scene around 4 a.m., law enforcement had yet to make an arrest earlier in the day. A woman, identified solely as Payne, described in an interview with KTLA being awakened to really loud footsteps upstairs, followed by her husband's realization that they were being robbed, prompting some victims to quickly escape through a window and summon the police.
While no injuries were reported, the Los Angeles Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident. The suspects, last seen in dark attire and ski masks, seem to have taken a substantial amount of property, fleeing in an unknown direction. "Authorities said the suspects took an undisclosed amount of property before leaving in an unknown direction," as per a summary by CBS News Los Angeles. The search for the suspects remains ongoing and there is currently no official description available for the perpetrators.
