Los Angeles: On Saturday October 18, 2003 at approximately 10:55 a.m., West Valley patrol officers responded to the report of a robbery at 18524 Reseda Boulevard.

The Pars Jewelry Store was robbed by three suspects. They had entered the location and robbed the owners at gunpoint. The owners, a married couple, were assaulted and handcuffed in front of their children. They had just opened for business when the robbery occurred. They had removed the inventory of jewelry from the safe, but it had not been secured in jewelry display cases. The suspects grabbed the boxes which contained rings, watches, earrings and necklaces, then dumped them into sacks they had brought with them. The suspects left the location with jewelry valued at more than $150,000.00.

The victim went outside and observed the suspects enter a cream colored Ford, driven by a fourth suspect, that drove southbound on Reseda Boulevard. The victim, still handcuffed, flagged down a passing motorist. The driver of that vehicle allowed the victim to enter his vehicle and together they followed the suspects’ vehicle. The witness was able to contact 911 on a cellular phone and give responding officers the location of the vehicle.

Fortunately, there were four West Valley patrol officers in the area on an unrelated call for service. One unit responded to the location of the robbery and the other to the location where the vehicle had stopped and the suspects left on foot. The driver of the vehicle was apprehended right away, but three suspects had fled on a hiking trail. The officers conducted a search of the area and were able to locate and apprehend the remaining suspects. The officers were able to recover the weapon, believed to have been used in the robbery, as well as two bags containing what appears to be all of the jewelry taken.

This media release was prepared by Lieutenant Gary Hallden, Commanding Officer, West Valley Detective Division, 818-756-8591.