Public Help Sought In Hunt For West LA Robbery Suspect

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Police detectives on Thursday asked for the public's help in locating a suspect wanted for robbing two electronics stores in the West Los Angeles area.

The first robbery occurred Sept. 30 at about 7:15 p.m., at an electronics store in the 11200 block of National Boulevard.

According to police, the suspect went into the store with a set of bolt cutters and a large backpack. The suspect used the cutters to sever a metal chain attached to a display laptop. After putting that laptop and another computer into his backpack he was confronted by a store clerk.

The suspect, police said, threatened the clerk with the bolt cutters and fled the scene on a burgundy-colored mountain bike.

The second robbery occurred at an electronics store in the 8900 block of Sepulveda Boulevard on Oct. 23.

Police described the suspect as a Hispanic man with a shaved head, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 200 to 230 pounds, about 25 years old, with a tattoo on the back of his upper left arm. In surveillance photos the suspect was seen wearing a black T-shirt with a large multi-colored image of the state of California on the front, blue baggy shorts with a white stripe on each side and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with information on this suspect was asked to call LAPD's Pacific area robbery detectives at (310) 482-6396. Weekends and off-hours tips can be made to (877) LAPD-24-7.

Tipsters can also call Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS or text the LAPD at 274637. All text messages should begin with the letters LAPD.

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