Thieves target victims across Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - Four suspects in a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler robbed a woman and her friend in Manhattan Beach Saturday morning, and police later learned that similar crimes occurred at least twice in neighboring Hawthorne, authorities said.

Officers were sent to the 200 block of 40th Street at about 3:35 a.m. Saturday on a robbery report and spoke to the woman, who told them she and a friend were walking when a vehicle drove up and the occupants tried to get their attention, Manhattan Beach Police Sgt. Taylor Klosowski said.

"The victims ignored the occupants and continued to walk, but the vehicle continued to follow them," Klosowski said. "The victims stopped in the 3900 block of The Strand, when the vehicle stopped and four suspects exited."

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One of the suspects was armed with a black handgun and told one of the victims to "give them everything they had," the sergeant said. The victim handed over cash and the four suspects drove away in the jeep. The victims were not injured during the robbery.

Manhattan Beach police later learned that two robbery calls in neighboring Hawthorne at 135th Street and Aviation Boulevard had occurred with similar circumstances and suspect descriptions. It was not immediately known what time those robberies occurred.

Manhattan Beach police urged anyone with information regarding the robberies to call them at 310-802-5140 or 310-802-5123, or send any videos to eyewitness@manhattanbeach.gov.