Armed robberies targeting women reported at shopping centers in Calabasas and Westlake Village
Authorities are investigating a series of armed robberies in Calabasas and Westlake Village after three women were targeted at local shopping centers over the past two weeks, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Two of the incidents happened at the Commons at Calabasas, one on Wednesday night and another on Jan. 13. Both occurred after 7:30 p.m.
A third incident, an attempted armed robbery, occurred a few miles away at a shopping center in Westlake Village. Detectives report that in each case, a suspect approached women and demanded their luxury purses while armed.
"They definitely strike fear into our victims," said LASD Capt. Dustin Carr. "These are armed robberies. They're very serious crimes, and it's, you know, a very frightening situation right now that's occurring in the Lost Hills jurisdiction."
The robbery on Wednesday involved a suspect dressed in all black who allegedly approached a woman with a semi-automatic handgun and demanded her Louis Vuitton purse before fleeing.
"It does appear that they are targeting this area, whether it's due to affluency or economics, we're unsure of a motivation at this point," said Carr.
The sheriff's department is urging residents to take precautions when shopping at night. No arrests have been made.
"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," Carr said. "Walking in pairs is a good idea. When you walk in pairs, you lower the chance of you becoming a target of these crimes of opportunity."
