A string of burglaries and sexual assaults in the neighborhoods near Los Angeles Koreatown has prompted police to call for extra caution.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), four home burglaries and two sexual assaults occurred between July 27 and 30. All occurred just 1.5 miles north of Koreatown.
The LAPD believes the same person is responsible for all of the crimes and is conducting an intense investigation to prevent further incidents.
Three of the four home burglaries occurred in the morning hours of July 27. The crimes were committed between 3 and 10 a.m., according to the LA Times.
The suspect’s burglary spree was coordinated. The suspect moved from one neighborhood to the next, instead of staying in the same area. The suspect broke into one home each in Silver Lake, East Hollywood, and Los Feliz.
The suspect committed the burglaries while the occupants were inside the home, mostly entering through windows or doors and even cutting through steel security fences, police said.
One of the incidents also involved a sexual assault. “The suspect sexually assaulted a woman who was sleeping in her bedroom,” explained LAPD Central Bureau Assistant Commanding Officer Lillian Carranza. The LAPD did not provide further details as the investigation is still ongoing.
Three days later, on July 30, a home near the intersection of Manzanita Street and Sunset Boulevard in the Silver Lake neighborhood also reported a home burglary and sexual assault.
The location is adjacent to a burglary that occurred earlier in the month, on July 27, also in the Silver Lake neighborhood. This time, the suspect committed the crimes at night instead of during the morning hours. The LAPD is not releasing the exact details of the incident, other than the fact that the victim of the home burglary and sexual assault was female.
The LAPD describes the suspect as a white or Hispanic male, between 20 and 35 years old, with a thin build, and about 5 feet 10 inches tall. The suspect was last seen on surveillance footage wearing black shoes with white lines, black sweatpants, a black windbreaker jacket, and a black hat.
The LAPD urged the public to stay safe by keeping exterior lights on and all windows and doors locked, and to call 911 if they see anyone or anything acting suspiciously.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
