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Saturday, March 15, 2025

Koreatown shopper robbed by armed man in parking lot of popular mall in broad daylight

Another gun robbery occurred in broad daylight at a popular mall in Los Angeles Koreatown. The suspect reportedly chased a fleeing woman and robbed her of her belongings.

The Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Olympic Division responded to a report of a robbery in the parking lot of City Center on 6th, a shopping mall at 6th Street and Mariposa Avenue in Koreatown, at around 12:40 p.m. on August 21.

According to the police, the victim is a Korean-American woman. The suspect approached her in her car in the parking lot, threatened her with a gun, and demanded money. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 30s.

The victim, second from left, explains about the robbery incident to police officers dispatched to a Koreatown mall on August 21. [Image captured from MBC America]

“The woman exited the vehicle and fled from the suspect,” said police, ”but the suspect chased and grabbed her purse, and got into a vehicle waiting to flee the scene.” The authorities believe that the robbery was planned and an organized crime.

The mall where the incident occurred is home to many Korean-American businesses, including a Korean supermarket, bakeries, restaurants, clothing and cosmetics stores. Koreatown residents are concerned that it occurred during the lunch hour when there is a high flow of customers to and from restaurants and the supermarket.

“I’m worried about this because a lot of customers are coming to the mall for lunch,” said John Park, the owner of Hanshin Pocha, a restaurant bar in the mall. “I’ve been working in Koreatown for nearly 40 years, and incidents seem to be happening more frequently these days.”

“I’ve been in the mall for more than 10 years, but I’ve never seen a robbery like this in broad daylight,” said a business owner in the mall who asked not to be identified. “It’s shocking that it happened during lunchtime when a lot of people come to the mall for lunch or coffee.”

“There is security, but only one person manages the entire mall,” said another business owner at the mall, pointing to security issues.

Police urged residents who has information about the incident to call 213-382-9460, as it was in broad daylight and there were likely many passersby.

Recently, Koreatown has seen a spate of robberies. On August 15, a Korean-American woman was threatened and robbed of $13,000 by a robber in the parking lot of a bank on Olympic Boulevard in Koreatown.

On July 30, a Korean-American man was robbed at knifepoint and was demanded money in a high-rise parking garage near Wilshire and Harvard Boulevard.

In June, a handgun robber broke into a bakery in town and stole about $800 in cash before fleeing, adding to Koreatown’s insecurity with at least one armed robbery incident every month.

BY SUAH JANG, HOONSIK WOO [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]

The Korea Daily
The Korea Daily
Founded in 1974, The Korea Daily (미주중앙일보) is the largest Korean media outlet in the U.S., providing in-depth coverage of local, national, and international news with a strong focus on immigration, business, and the Korean-American community. While covering major cities across the U.S., including New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, and Dallas, as well as Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, The Korea Daily primarily focuses on news in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Headquartered in Koreatown, Los Angeles, it serves as a key news source for Korean Americans in Southern California.