Authorities are piecing together the details of a violent home invasion that occurred in Woodland Hills late Tuesday night. According to the KTLA report, three armed and masked suspects forced entry into a home on Erwin Street, with one gaining access through a window and letting the others in. Inside, the husband, who was in his office, was compelled to open a safe at gunpoint, while his wife was silenced with a shirt in her mouth in a separate room.
Even though a detailed description of the suspects was not available of the suspects, they successfully fled with approximately $15,000 in cash and $500,000 in jewelry. While the investigation is ongoing, police are considering the possibility that this was a targeted incident due to the homeowner's status as a retired antiques dealer known for online sales. The couple was said to be in their 70s, as detailed by a FOX LA article, which also reported that the suspects allegedly made their way into the residence through a French door.
Additional context came from an NBC Los Angeles piece, which referred to the victims as high-end jewelers and reiterated the significant amount of cash and jewelry that was taken. Despite the traumatic experience, the couple was not physically harmed during the robbery.
In seemingly related news, around 12 miles away, another break-in took place in Sherman Oaks, reported by ABC7. Although residents were held at gunpoint by a group of four suspects, it has not been confirmed whether knives were also used. The suspects fled the scene before an amount could be determined to have been taken, with police currently checking the inventory. Law enforcement is now working to determine if the two unsettling incidents in the San Fernando Valley are related.
