When:
November 23, 2004 , 2:00 p.m.

Where:
Parker Center , 150 North Los Angeles Street , Los Angeles

Los Angeles : The Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and other local police agencies are investigating a series of 7-11 convenience store robberies.

The robberies have been occurring since July of 2003, for a total of 25 robberies with the most recent one occurring on November 16, 2004 , in North Hollywood Division. Eleven of these cases are in the City of Los Angels , including the two most recent, with the others in Los Angeles , and San Bernardino Counties .

The suspects enter the businesses during the early morning hours. Armed with handguns, the suspects force employees into a back room or cooler, frequently bound, and often times assaulted. The suspects take money from the registers and physically remove the business safes, usually causing considerable damage. Simultaneously, one of the suspects takes the video surveillance tape. The suspects then flee with the property and safe in their getaway vehicle.

In the last five robberies, the suspects have been unable to remove the safe, although obvious attempts were made. Most of the victims have only received scrapes, bumps, and bruises, however, in several of the most recent incidents the victims were beaten to a point that they had to be hospitalized. The suspects appear to be turning up their level of violence and the Los Angeles Police Department is requesting the public’s help in identifying them.

Surveillance photographs and of the suspects and their vehicles will be displayed during the news conference.

Anyone with information is requested to contact Robbery-Homicide Detectives Steve Koman or Rodrigo Amador, at 213-485-2511. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at the Detective Information Desk, at 1-877-LAWFULL (877-529-3855).

This news advisory was prepared by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.