Surge in violent street robberies prompts community alert from LAPD

LAPD issues community alert across Los Angeles

A community alert was issued by the LAPD due to a recent spike in crime in the Beverly Grove neighborhood.

LOS ANGELES - A series of robberies across Los Angeles has prompted the Los Angeles Police Department to issue a community alert to the public.

LAPD said in a tweet there is an ongoing crime trend of follow-home robberies, with suspects finding their victims in popular areas such as Melrose Avenue and the Jewelry District as well as nightclubs and high-end restaurants in the Fairfax District and Beverly Grove areas, then following them and committing the robberies as the victim arrives home or at their business.

Officials said the target of these robberies has been expensive jewelry, including watches and necklaces and expensive purses. Additionally, victims have also been targeted based on the type of car they're driving, police said.

LAPD issued the following safety tips to the public amid the spike in robberies:

Be aware of one's surroundings for anything unusual or out of the ordinary before exiting your car, walking out of a restaurant, store, mall, or club.
Be cautious displaying high value property in public such as purses, watches, and jewelry.
Record and report suspicious activity to the police (write down suspicious vehicle/suspect descriptions).
If you are driving and believe you are being followed, call 911. If possible, drive to the nearest police station.
If you are being robbed, do not resist the robbery suspects; cooperate and comply with their demands. Be a good witness.
After a robbery, immediately call police via 911. Immediately write down everything you can remember about the crime, suspects, and suspect vehicle.
Do not chase or follow the robbery suspect out of your home or business. Leave the job of catching the suspects to the police.

Just a day ago it was revealed that former NASCAR driver Bobby East was stabbed to death at an Orange County gas station on Wednesday. The 27-year-old suspect, Trent William Mislap, was on parole for armed robbery and also had a warrant out for his arrest for a parole violation. He was shot and killed by police at an Anaheim apartment two days later.

U.S. Olympian Kim Glass most recently took to her social media with a warning for her followers after she was allegedly attacked by a homeless person armed with a metal pipe in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend in broad daylight, suffering horrific injuries. According to Glass, the man threw the metal object at her, and it hit her in her eye socket and around the bridge of her nose, causing "serious damage."

The videos shared by Glass a day after the attack show her eye nearly swollen shut and her nose area still bloodied. She revealed she was diagnosed with multiple facial fractures and needed stitches, but that her doctors said they don't expect her vision to be permanently affected.