Jul 10, 2008 10:30 pm US/Pacific
Westside Home Invasion Robber Strikes Again
LOS ANGELES
Police say a serial home-invasion robber in West L.A. struck again Thursday at the home of an 84-year-old woman.
The robber entered the woman's home through a kitchen window at about 3:20 a.m. in the 2100 block of Pelham Avenue in West Los Angeles, Los Angeles police spokeswoman Officer Julianne Sohn said. The woman, Ernestine Avelar, was not hurt.
"He put the gun in my neck, he said, 'Do what I say and you won't get hurt. Otherwise, I'll kill you.' I said I had $50, take it and he did," Avelar said.
The suspect is described as black, 6 feet tall, about 25-35 years old and weighing about 200 pounds. He wore dark clothing and gloves. He is believed to be the same robber targeting older women in the area in the last month or so, Sohn said.
LAPD Detective Tracey Benjamin said authorities need help finding the person responsible for the robberies.
"We're extremely frustrated, especially because of the victims and they're elderly, and they're being targeted and we have absolutely no leads," Benjamin said.
Los Angeles City Councilman Jack Weiss, who represents parts of the Westside, urged senior citizens to protect themselves in their own homes.
"If you are elderly, especially if you are female, you have got to take extra precautions right now. This is serious, it's very real," Weiss said.
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