Residents and visitors in Calabasas and Westlake Village are being urged by local authorities to remain vigilant following a series of armed robberies targeting female shoppers. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is actively investigating these incidents, the latest occurring on January 21, ABC7 reports. In one instance at The Commons at Calabasas, a woman was confronted by a suspect who demanded her Louis Vuitton purse.
These robberies have happened after dark, suggesting a pattern of criminal activity focused on vulnerable individuals in affluent areas. The suspect has been described as a male, dressed entirely in black attire, as explained by a LASD Captain, "They definitely strike fear into our victims," Capt. Dustin Carr pointed out, according to KTLA. After the incident in Calabasas, another attempted robbery unfolded in Westlake Village when a suspect brandishing a gun approached a woman during a suspected carjacking. Though the two assaults appear related, authorities have yet to confirm connections between them.
Shoppers have expressed concern and dismay over these developments. "The women hold their purses and the guys put their wallets in their front pockets. You’ve just got to be aware of your surroundings," a local shopper identified as Aiden Najarian told FOXLA. Another shopper, Sarah Zarin, said she was shocked and outraged by the incidents, noting plans to adopt a more cautious approach while visiting these shopping centers.
In the face of these crimes, the Sheriff's Department has increased patrols and security measures to ensure public safety. No arrests have been made yet, and residents are advised to adopt precautionary measures such as walking in pairs to minimize the risk of becoming a target. "At this point, the suspects are at large, and so anything you can do to make yourself safer, I would take those precautions at this point, until we get these suspects apprehended," Capt. Dustin Carr advised, according to an interview obtained by ABC7. As local law enforcement doubles down on efforts to capture the perpetrators, the community remains on high alert.
