L.A. police warn of jewelry thieves targeting elderly victims

A spike in distraction-style jewelry thefts targeting elderly victims in Los Angeles prompted police to hold a news conference Tuesday to warn the public about the spike in thefts.  

There have been several types of these “distraction thefts” across the Southern California region, with two recently occurring in Manhattan Beach.  

According to officials with the Los Angeles Police Department, the crimes typically occur during daytime hours in residential areas and involve an organized group of criminals.  

Authorities say victims are usually approached by thieves of Caucasian descent, possibly Eastern European, generally a man and woman and, in some cases, have had children with them as well.

The thieves are known to approach both on foot and in rented vehicles and tend to distract victims by asking them for directions, complimenting their jewelry or asking if they can pray with them.  

“Once engaged, they offer a ‘gift’ of a piece of jewelry and place fake jewelry on the victim’s neck, simultaneously stealing the real piece,” officials said in a community bulletin. “Many victims do not know their property was taken until the suspects have left.”  

The crime was detailed in the police department’s monthly crime report released last Friday, with an estimate of at least 140 of these distraction-style thefts in L.A. so far this year.  

Police offer the following suggestions for people to stay safe: 

• Avoid engaging with strangers who approach from inside a vehicle 

• Report suspicious activity, including unfamiliar vehicles lingering in residential areas and, if possible, note the license plate number and suspect descriptions 

• If you become a victim, avoid handling the fake jewelry with bare hands to help preserve evidence 

• Please continue to inform the elderly segment of our communities who do not monitor social media and are not always accustomed to following crime prevention tips on their own 

Anyone with information on these types of crimes is urged to contact LAPD Mission Area Robbery Detectives at 818-838-9800. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477.