A high-end secondhand store in Los Angeles Koreatown was robbed by a group of burglars on Wednesday. The store is located just a block away from the LAPD Olympic Station.
According to the LAPD, a robbery was reported at Noblesse, a luxury second-hand store located in the New Seoul Hotel shopping mall, at around 5 a.m. on October 23. “Five male suspects entered the store, stole items, and fled,” LAPD Public Information Officer Norma Eisenman said in response to the report, adding, ”The suspects also attempted to attack a security guard.”
At around 9 a.m., the front of the store was still undergoing repairs to the front door. Shards of broken glass were on the floor, and two locksmiths were working on the front door lock. The suspects broke the front door glass and the lock to gain entry.
The LAPD Olympic Division is investigating the incident but has not yet released further details about the incident, including the extent of the damage or method of the crime.
“We’re in the early stages of the investigation,” said Detective Samuel Soto of the Olympic Division. “We will update you on the case as soon as we have more information,” he said, adding, “We will be asking for tips on the suspects who fled.” On the same day, the New Seoul Hotel, which houses the burglarized store, was reportedly visited by men wearing masks in a separate incident from the burglary.
“At around 6:30 a.m., the police received a report of a suspected robbery from the hotel,” Eisenman said. “The report stated that three men wearing masks entered the hotel. When the officers arrived at the scene, the men had disappeared.”
A representative from New Seoul Hotel said, “No damage was reported to the hotel.”
This is the second robbery incident in Koreatown in five days, following a robbery at a smoke shop near Beverly Boulevard and Normandie Avenue on October 18. On October 21, an armed robbery at a luxury apartment in downtown left one person dead.
Despite the high level of public safety concerns in LA, LAPD recruitment has decreased by 8% since 2022. The total number of officers has also reportedly fallen below 9,000.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
