June 18, 2009

Los Angeles: On May 30, 2009, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives arrested three suspects accused of impersonating police officers who entered victims' homes and stole property.  Incidents have occurred in multiple areas of the city, including the San Fernando Valley.

On May 28, 2009 at 5:30 pm, three suspects posing as LAPD undercover narcotics officers knocked on an apartment door in the 400 block of N. Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles.  The victim answered the door and was asked by one of the suspects if “Juan Dominguez” lived there.  Before she could answer, one suspect pushed the door open and stated they were police officers who were conducting a narcotics investigation.  One suspect then handcuffed the victim and made her lie face down.  The suspect then called two other suspects into the apartment.  At that time, a second victim walked out to the living room from the kitchen to see what was happening.  One of the suspects demanded her purse, which she surrendered, and then directed her to lie face down as well. 

Another suspect proceeded to ransack the victims' apartment while one of the three kept watch over both victims and the other posed as a lookout by the front door.  After looking for things to steal, the suspects left the location with currency and other items.

On May 30, 2009 at 7 p.m., two suspects followed two female victims into their apartment complex in the 8400 block of Cedros Avenue in Panorama City.  The suspects forced their way into the victims' apartment, and one suspect identified himself as a police officer by showing a false police badge.  A struggle ensued between the suspect posing as a police officer and one of the victims as the suspect handcuffed the victim, and her cell phone fell to the floor.  The suspect took possession of her cell phone.  The second female victim left the apartment as the other suspect chased after her. 

After a short while, the handcuffed victim was able to free herself and left the apartment as well.  Later that evening, a third suspect, 28-year-old Carlos Guzman, was arrested when he arrived at the location and attempted to retrieve a false police badge from a vehicle parked in front of the victims' apartment.  His arrest lead to the arrest of the other two suspects, 54-year-old Luis Guzman and 25-year-old Michael Bojorquez, both on June 4, 2009.  All arrested suspects were charged with robbery.

Since the victims of these robberies may have assumed the suspects were police officers, detectives believe there could be additional victims from similar incidents carried out by these suspects.

Anyone with information regarding these or other related robberies, as well as those who have been directly victimized under similar circumstances by these suspects, is asked to call Olympic Division robbery detectives at 213-382-9460 or Mission Division robbery detectives at 818-838-9461. 

After hours or on weekends, calls may directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD. 

Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website www.lapdonline.org. 

All tips may remain anonymous.