La Palma, Calif. – The La Palma Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying two suspects involved in a home invasion robbery that occurred on Sunday, June 9, at about 9:30 p.m.
Police responded to the home, located in the 7900 block of Louise Drive, after the victim called and reported that two men accosted them at their residence, forced them to lie face down on the floor and demanded money. The suspects are both described as black males. One suspect stood guard while the other suspect ransacked the residence. The victim was punched and kicked several times before the suspects fled the residence with more than $3,000 worth of jewelry and currency. The victim was treated for head injuries and later released.
The incident was captured on video surveillance. If you have any information that could lead to the identity of the suspect(s), please contact the La Palma Police Department at (714) 690-3368.
This is a letter I recently wrote to the City regarding this incident:
Dear Honorable Mayor Shanahan, Council Members, and Police Chief Nunez,
I’m writing in regards to a recent home-invasion robbery occurred June 9th in my parents’ house at 7900 block of Louise Lane. My parents (both 68 years old) were having some tea in the backyard after they returned home from a Sunday family dinner. Two men in masks attacked my parents in the backyard and dragged them upstairs. My father was continually beaten in front of my mother as they demanded money. After approximately 30 minutes of this traumatic episode, the perpetrators fled my farther gave up the tithing he had set aside inside of his bible. Fortunately, my parents escaped with minor injuries.
This is the fourth time in the past four years that my parents have been targeted by burglars and robbers. The first time was in the garage where three men waited for my mom to get home; attacked her and snatched her purse and ran. They were arrested. The second time, a man broke into the house while no one was home. The third time, two men came in the backyard and while attempting to disable the security camera, they heard the garage door open and fled. Fourth time, this time, it could have been tragic.
All these robberies have one thread in common – the getaway plan was to hop over the wall to the alley serving the commercial strip mall abutting my parents’ backyard. I’m not sure if these types of burglaries/robberies are common in similar geographic locations. According to City-Data, there was an average of about 6 robberies and 62 burglaries per year from 2009 to 2011 in La Palma. For such a safe city, having one house targeted four times in the last four years seems unreasonable, especially since my parents have lived in La Palma since 1992 and this seems to be a recent phenomenon.
We keep asking ourselves, what can be done to prevent this from happening again. My parents made La Palma their home and opposed to moving away. What can the city do to safeguard its citizens, especially the elderly? One solution I can think of is to deter criminals from using the alley as an easy getaway by installing cameras and allowing fences and walls to be higher where R zones abut C zones with service alley adjacent to rear property lines. If there are other measures that the city can take, please implement them so folks like my parents who call La Palma home can live with a sense of security and safety.
-Concerned son of the victims
Wednesday, June 12, 2013.
• Cerritos and LP Councils have failed to unite Sheriffs and Police, as there is a divide between jurisdictions. Both unions are worthless. Borderline hoods to both hoods are not getting sufficient patrols………
• Cerritos and LP Councils have banned RV’s, so have destroyed core family values.
• Cerritos & LP Councils have done nothing to create neighborhood synergy, block parties, etc.
• Cerritos & LP Councils have done nothing to create many mobile walking groups within the city, as the residents need to be the eyes & ears for policing.
• All cities must install gates, to secure allies in order to protect the new norm environment. Unlocked allies are everyone’s problems.
• SOC hoods install temporary advertising signs, to shout out crime in certain areas. Getting the word out, is half the battle.
• This said crime on Louise, was reported by (3) residents on Sharon, if the photo being advertised is correct. Did even the LP PD respond?
• Inspect the data coming out of N. Denni St and El Rancho Verdes Park……Cer SD new captain from Palos Verdes, has been silent in to reaching out and patrolling.
• LP Counsel has aborted cops on cycle program.
• Homeless are increasing on the Del Amo Bridge and becoming squatters on the RR tracts and El Rancho Verdes Parklands.
• Lived in Cerritos for almost 4 decades. Highest crime rates in both cities and the maintenance in both cities are the worst on record. Look at other cities, some are worst, some are better maintained. Diversity Norms is not wearing well in either city.
• Strip zoning is not why residents purchased in Master Planned urban communities, as strip zoning breaks and breaches hood continuity and creates transit pockets.
• Both cities, policing crimes should be advertised by reverse 911 calls, to get the word out about crime…..as the hoods must be aware now and not latter.
http://hmg.theserver.me/loscerritosnews/2013/06/11/home-invasion-robbery-in-la-palma/