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Men rob house after tying girl up
Police searching for people who may have seen suspects eyeing home; teen victim was not injured.
By Chris Wiebe
LA CRESCENTA — Glendale Police are looking for two men who robbed a home on Lowell Avenue on Tuesday, tying up a 16-year-old girl who was home alone, before making off with jewelry and other valuables.
At about 9:30 a.m., two men approached the home intending to burglarize it, police said. But it turned into a home-invasion robbery when, after knocking and getting no answer, the men kicked open the door to find a girl home, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
The girl, who was out of class for the morning, did not recognize the men, so she didn’t answer the door and stayed silent, Lorenz said.
“We’ve had these in the past where opportunists will look at a house where they believe no one is home,” he said. “They’ll go to the door, knock, and if there’s no answer, they’ll kick in the door, get in the house quickly and try to find valuables.”
When they saw her, they grabbed her and tied her up, Lorenz said.
“They didn’t hurt her or assault her, but they took her around to see where the valuables were in the house,” he said.
During the robbery, the men threatened that they had a gun but did not produce any weapons, he added.
After stuffing jewelry and other valuables into a yellow pillowcase, the two fled the area, leaving the girl tied up in a bedroom, Lorenz said. The girl was able to break free, calling her mother and police.
“She was shaken; she was concerned,” Lorenz said. “And obviously her mom and dad were concerned. For a 16-year-old girl to go through something like this, she was handling it really well. She is obviously a very strong teenager.”
Neighbors in the area did not report seeing anything suspicious when the robbery was taking place. Usually, the area is safe and tranquil, said Lowell Avenue resident Kathleen McClure, 46.
“The only concern I have is that we’re so close to the freeway. . . . But for the most part, the neighborhood is great; that’s why we live here,” she said. “But it is unnerving, to say the least.”
Police are urging residents to keep their doors closed to strange visitors and to call police immediately if they see something suspicious, Lorenz said.
Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the men, who were described as two black men in their 20s, wearing dark pants and hoodies. One man was between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4, weighing 180 or 190 pounds, Lorenz said. The second man was heavy set and about 5-foot-11, he said.
“We don’t know which direction they fled,” he said.
“Obviously, we’re seeking the public’s assistance here because Lowell is a heavily traveled street. Many people who are going to work or school had to have seen either one of these guys maybe casing the area.”
Anyone who may have information about the incident is urged to call the department’s robbery unit at (818) 548 3987 or the Crime Stoppers line at (818) 507-7867.
“Someone had to have seen them,” Lorenz said.
“Maybe they didn’t see them go to the house or come out of the house. Maybe they saw them two blocks away, carrying a pillowcase and getting into a car. We need that information.”
CHRIS WIEBE covers public safety and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at chris.wiebe@ latimes.com.
At about 9:30 a.m., two men approached the home intending to burglarize it, police said. But it turned into a home-invasion robbery when, after knocking and getting no answer, the men kicked open the door to find a girl home, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.
The girl, who was out of class for the morning, did not recognize the men, so she didn’t answer the door and stayed silent, Lorenz said.
“We’ve had these in the past where opportunists will look at a house where they believe no one is home,” he said. “They’ll go to the door, knock, and if there’s no answer, they’ll kick in the door, get in the house quickly and try to find valuables.”
When they saw her, they grabbed her and tied her up, Lorenz said.
“They didn’t hurt her or assault her, but they took her around to see where the valuables were in the house,” he said.
During the robbery, the men threatened that they had a gun but did not produce any weapons, he added.
After stuffing jewelry and other valuables into a yellow pillowcase, the two fled the area, leaving the girl tied up in a bedroom, Lorenz said. The girl was able to break free, calling her mother and police.
“She was shaken; she was concerned,” Lorenz said. “And obviously her mom and dad were concerned. For a 16-year-old girl to go through something like this, she was handling it really well. She is obviously a very strong teenager.”
Neighbors in the area did not report seeing anything suspicious when the robbery was taking place. Usually, the area is safe and tranquil, said Lowell Avenue resident Kathleen McClure, 46.
“The only concern I have is that we’re so close to the freeway. . . . But for the most part, the neighborhood is great; that’s why we live here,” she said. “But it is unnerving, to say the least.”
Police are urging residents to keep their doors closed to strange visitors and to call police immediately if they see something suspicious, Lorenz said.
Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the men, who were described as two black men in their 20s, wearing dark pants and hoodies. One man was between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-4, weighing 180 or 190 pounds, Lorenz said. The second man was heavy set and about 5-foot-11, he said.
“We don’t know which direction they fled,” he said.
“Obviously, we’re seeking the public’s assistance here because Lowell is a heavily traveled street. Many people who are going to work or school had to have seen either one of these guys maybe casing the area.”
Anyone who may have information about the incident is urged to call the department’s robbery unit at (818) 548 3987 or the Crime Stoppers line at (818) 507-7867.
“Someone had to have seen them,” Lorenz said.
“Maybe they didn’t see them go to the house or come out of the house. Maybe they saw them two blocks away, carrying a pillowcase and getting into a car. We need that information.”
CHRIS WIEBE covers public safety and the courts. He may be reached at (818) 637-3232 or by e-mail at chris.wiebe@ latimes.com.
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