In a recent spate of burglaries, three smoke shops across the San Fernando Valley were hit by thieves in what appears to be a coordinated overnight crime spree. ABC7 reports that the first incident occurred at around 4:00 a.m. at Purple Haze Smoke Shop on Magnolia Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Suspects rammed the storefront with a vehicle, escaping with merchandise and a cash register. The scene was left with glass strewn across the entrance.
Witnesses described seeing at least five suspects involved in the Sherman Oaks burglary. One individual, who claimed to have been sleeping in his car at the time of the incident, recounted to ABC7 the abrupt nature of the crime, "I heard a big bang, and all of a sudden, I looked up and saw this car inside the store and all these men running in and out, in and out ... within 10 minutes, everything was being taken out and thrown in their second car, I guess it was, and they all took off."
Following the Sherman Oaks incident, another burglary was reported by CBS Los Angeles at approximately 4:40 a.m. at Elite Smoke Shop on Devonshire Street in Granada Hills, where suspects again used a vehicle to gain entry. The suspects have not been apprehended, and it remains unclear what was stolen from the shop. The owner is still assessing the extent of the loss, including a broken vending machine and a stolen computer sales system.
Later that morning, a third burglary was reported around 6:30 a.m., also in Granada Hills, involving an unusual method of attempted entry: a bow and arrow. FOX Los Angeles reports that two masked suspects were seen entering the Purple Haze Smoke Shop and then fled under the cover of darkness, with LAPD currently investigating and looking for leads. In a curious twist of events, a security guard confronted a suspect, but the suspect got away.
Though it remains unconfirmed whether these incidents are linked, the LAPD has reported that one of the suspects in the bow-and-arrow incident matched a description from an earlier burglary. The police are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in their ongoing investigations.
