The man pistol-whipped the elderly woman before breaking into her safe. Annette Arreola reports for Today in LA on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022.
One person was taken into custody in connection with the beating of a 71-year-old woman who was pistol-whipped and robbed Wednesday afternoon in her Beverly Grove home.
The incident has left nearby neighbors shaken, and wondering just how safe they are in the area near the 6600 block of West 5th Street.
Los Angeles police planned to provide more details Thursday about the arrest.
"It makes us think twice about whether or not this is a place for us to be living," said neighbor Jessica Lieber. "It makes me think about -- you know, my babysitter today left the door unlocked. And I immediately ran and was like, "Make sure the door is locked.""
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Detectives are still determining how the man got into the home.
After gaining entry and physically striking the woman, that man gained access to a safe inside the woman's home. She told the LAPD, according to NBC4 sources, that he got away with 500 watches, including several Rolexes.
The LAPD said in its release about the incident that "a large amount of expensive jewelry" was taken, though they have not yet determined a dollar value for the items or specified what kind of jewelry it was.
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The woman was not severely injured, but was treated at the scene for "bruises and lacerations" after the man struck her.
"She did not get transported to the hospital," said Lietenant Kirk Kelley of the LAPD Robbery and Homicide Division on Wednesday. "She's recovering inside. Definitely shaken up, very afraid of what happened, but she should recover fully from her injuries."
According to the LAPD, there is no evidence that the incident was a "follow-home robbery," and would not say whether the woman ran a jewelry business.
The intruder was wearing "a "Halloween" type mask," the LAPD release said.
Neighbors are worried about their safety in their own neighborhood after the incident.
"It seems like they can't protect against it anywhere in the city now," Jason Anish said. "The police are doing as much as they can, but I don't know if their hands are tied by politics or what have you, but I think something's got to change."
