Los Angeles police have turned their attention to Westwood for
the second time in just a few weeks after there was a series of
burglaries and attempted burglaries in local apartments.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department community alert,
police on June 17 received reports of three hot prowl incidents
““ burglaries while the resident is at home ““ near the
intersection of Roebling and Levering avenues. On the same night,
the LAPD received a report of a fourth hot prowl incident in the
same area, which may or may not be related to the other three.
All four occurred in the early morning when the victims were
asleep in their apartments.
In the first incident, the suspect stole electronic equipment
including a laptop computer, but in the second and third incidents,
the victims woke up to find the suspect in the room.
Following brief physical altercations with the victims, the
suspect fled empty-handed. LAPD Officer Carlos Martin said the
physical confrontations between the victims and the suspect were
enough to classify both crimes as battery.
He added that the second incident is being investigated as a
sexual battery, since at one point the victim received an unwanted
touch from the perpetrator.
Though police do not have any suspects yet, Martin said two of
the victims were able to describe the perpetrator well enough for
police to release a composite sketch.
According to the LAPD community alert, police are currently
looking for a male between the ages of 19 and 25. But Martin said
right now police have no reason to believe the perpetrator is a
UCLA student.
“We’ve gone door-to-door (in the apartments). I
personally have posted alerts in some businesses in Westwood, and
no one has recognized the suspect yet,” Martin said.
“These incidents occurred over graduation weekend, when there
were a lot of people in town, so this individual may not be from
the area.”
Even so, Martin said LAPD is collaborating with UCPD on the
investigation.
Martin said he was particularly concerned by the fact that, in
several of the incidents, the suspect appeared to have entered the
building through an unlocked door, and stressed the importance of
paying attention to security.
Marie Knuffke, a second-year English student who is planning to
move into an apartment in Westwood in the near future, said she had
not heard of the hot prowl incidents, but that the information
would prompt her to be more cautious about locking doors and
windows.
“It definitely makes me feel less safe in the
apartments,” she said. “It’s pretty
scary.”
But Knuffke added that the crimes did not affect her perception
of safety on campus.
Martin said he hopes Westwood residents will come forward with
any information they have.
“We are relying to a certain degree on information from
the community,” he said. “It’s just a matter of
recognizing this individual and giving us a call.”
Anyone with information about the crimes should contact LAPD
at (310) 444-1541.