Hermosa Beach chief says officers are actively investigating abduction attempt
Good Morning HBNW residents,
Yesterday, a Hermosa Beach resident was the victim of an attempted abduction. This alarms us all. It serves to remind us that although we live in a relatively quiet and safe community, others will prey on our sense of security and attempt these brazen crimes even in broad daylight when we feel the safest.
This incident, which is very similar to an incident in Redondo Beach in January, has all South Bay Police Departments on alert, we are actively investigating and looking for these suspects. As more information is developed, we will update the community.
If anyone sees suspicious or similar vehicles we urge you to call 9-1-1 or the direct dial number, 310-524-2750 and report its location and, if possible, obtain the license plate. If you wish to provide information you believe is related, but not in progress, please call the Detectives at 310-318-0351 where they will catalog and track all leads.
The victim in this case reacted quickly by striking the suspect and running away. We are very thankful she was able to react and prevented this from becoming a more serious crime. We encourage all of you to think about what you would do in a similar situation and discuss and/or practice with a family member or friend on how to react.
In this case, the suspects asked a seemingly harmless question; asking for directions. Our victim, being kind, approached the van to offer help. This is when they attempted to pull her in. Our recommendation would be not to panic if someone asks you a question as this happens thousands of times without incident and we are accustomed to helping.
In light of the recent incidents, we ask that you take a few precautions when approached or asked a question from someone in a vehicle. First, DO NOT APPROACH the vehicle, answer from where you are currently standing. If they call you over saying they can't hear, speak louder, don't walk closer.
Or you may also wish to have a standard response, such as; "I'm sorry, I am late to an appointment, I have to run", then briskly leave the area. We also encourage you to keep your cell phone with you at all times to report any suspicious activity. We encourage you to program our dispatch center's direct line, 310-524-2750 as one of your speed dial numbers for fastest access to the police. (Sometimes 9-1-1 from a cell phone may send you to a neighboring agency and this insures you will reach the Hermosa Police Dispatch Center.)
As always, please don't hesitate to call me or the department if you have any questions or concerns.
Respectfully,
Greg Savelli
Chief of Police
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
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About the Blogger
Denise Nix knew as young as grade school, when she spent every summer working on the camp newspaper, that she wanted to be a journalist. Denise has spent most of the last 12 years of her career in the courtroom. She joined the Daily Breeze in 2001, where she tracks and reports on hundreds of cases at every level of the justice system. And she's never, ever, seen a judge use a gavel.
E-mail Denise at denise.nix@dailybreeze.com.
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it's very strange that these individuals came back to the area to try again, given the police attention the first incident caused. They seem to be taking an extreme risk, easily mitigated by going somewhere else. Something doesn't make sense here.
Does anyone think that this not only sounds familiar to the incidents in January in the San Diego area, but the sketches look VERY similar? I certainly hope the detectives are following this story.
http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=10072355