A Los Angeles motorist was robbed in broad daylight by a number of thieves after forcing him to crash his car. The incident highlights the increased crime facing the city, especially in large-scale theft often caught on video.
According to local media, four alleged robbers forced a driver off the road along a Los Angeles highway. The men rushed out of a black Dodge Caravan toward the luxury sedan before robbing him. The entire incident allegedly took place around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The robbers forced the Alfa Romeo driver to raise his hands before robbing his car. They threatened the other driver with a hammer and a crowbar.
The entire incident was caught on tape, which was broadcast online and in the local press.
Despite the incident being filmed and other drivers slowing to watch the incident, no one intervened. The robbers then jumped into a waiting white Chevrolet Malibu and drove off.
The California Highway Patrol said that there were no injuries due to the robbery and that so far there have been no arrests.
Brazen daytime robbery on 10 Freeway in Los Angeles after a car crash.
California is lawless.
pic.twitter.com/Pb4lAxKrBS— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) October 26, 2023
Earlier this year, Los Angeles suffered from a number of ‘flash mob’ robberies at local stores.
Eleven people were arrested after the robberies of high-end outlets. One was a Yves Saint Laurent location in Glendale, as well as a Versace location in Beverly Grove.
The most high-profile robbery was a swift robbery by a number of thieves at a Nordstrom store in Canoga Park. During the Nordstrom robbery, almost three dozen people ransacked the store. Nordstrom estimates that the robbery resulted in more than $100,000 in losses.
Beyond the high-end locations, similar robberies have taken place at other stores, including Nike and Gucci. Following the incidents, the city announced that it would utilize a task force to investigate the flash mob robberies.
Overall robberies have declined slightly in the city in 2023, but have jumped significantly since 2020, as have other types of crime.
