LAPD Response Halts 2 Possible Kidnappings and Jewelry Store Heist

Here are the raw data of reports collected Friday and Saturday by listening to the police scanner. If there are additional details needed, we'll file full news stories on the items and let you know. (Boldfaced communities are covered by Patch sites.)

Friday Night

9:20 p.m. Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards, Studio City
LAPD is notified of two males driving in separate vehicles, "racing at a high rate of speed" southbound on Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

9:20 p.m. 13400 block of Burbank Boulevard, Van Nuys
Van Nuys Division LAPD units are called to respond to a "violent man with mental illness" at the residence. The caller reports that the violent man is "being held down by family members."

9:23 p.m. North Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood
LAPD appears to be running an undercover vice operation in the Hollywood area. They are observing women standing on street corners and sharing descriptive information about them. Undercover officer #1 (a male voice) reports: "The two at the southeast corner are still there. The girl in pink, a heavy-set girl in the floral dress. They've been there for the past twenty minutes."

Undercover officer #2 (a female voice) reports: "Three girls on the southwest corner, and two girls on the northeast corner."

9:27 p.m. 13400 block of Burbank Boulevard, Van Nuys
Van Nuys patrol units have arrived at the scene and radio the LAPD dispatcher that the "violent man with mental illness" is now in custody.

9:28 p.m.
North Cahuenga Boulevard, Hollywood
The undercover vice team continues to monitor the street corners. They are closely monitoring a particular corner.

Undercover officer #1: "The girl in the hot pink dress and a floral-type dress. Kind of a chubby girl. Southeast corner, right at the Best Inn Motel."

Another officer: "You said she's wearing bright pink?"

Undercover officer #1: "Hot pink. Mini skirt."

9:29 p.m. 11300 block of Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood
LAPD is called to a report of a "man with mental illness" at the location.

9:33 p.m. 11400 block of Sunshine Terrace,  Studio City
A neighbor reports to LAPD that there are several unknown people inside the location and states that the residents she knows "are out-of-town."

9:46 p.m. Hatteras Street and Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood
A caller reports to LAPD North Hollywood division that a man is seen assaulting a woman at the intersection. The man is observed "dragging a female victim, she appears to be unconscious." Two North Hollywood patrol units are responding to the scene.

9:53 p.m. 11400 block of Sunshine Terrace, Studio City
An LAPD North Hollywood patrol unit has inspected the location and they observe no movement inside the residence. The patrol officer advised the dispatcher that the reporting person is just a neighbor and not the owner. Without the owner's permission the police cannot enter the property for further investigation.

10:21 p.m. Lankershim Boulevard, north of Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood
LAPD is called to Lankershim Boulevard for a report of a "man in a motorized wheelchair" creating a traffic hazard in the middle of the street. Several vehicles are observed swerving in the lanes to avoid hitting the man.

10:36 p.m. 3700 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard, North Hollywood
Report of domestic violence at the residence. The alleged violent person is described as the girlfriend, who is also drunk.

10:42 p.m. 6700 block of Darby Avenue, Northridge
LAFD Engine 72 with Rescue 100 are called for an emergency response to an assault at the residence.

10:43 p.m. 3200 block of North Cahuenga Boulevard, Cahuenga Pass
LAPD Valley Traffic Division is notified to investigate a traffic accident with an ambulance response on the thoroughfare.

10:47 p.m. 6700 block of Darby Avenue, Northridge
LAPD is responding to the scene of the assault.

10:55 p.m. LAFD has arrived at the scene of the assault, but find that the address they were given by the person reporting does not exist. Engine 72 notifies Operations Command Dispatch (OCD) about the situation.

10:37 p.m. 9800 block of Cobanas Avenue, Tujunga
Foothill Division LAPD receives an emergency call for a "woman screaming" at the residence.

11:02 p.m.
12650 Sherman Way, North Hollywood
North Hollywood Division LAPD receives a call of "unknown trouble" at the location.

11:04 p.m. The LAPD dispatcher advises the North Hollywood patrol units that the "unknown trouble" call is actually now a "kidnapping in progress." The address given is Nancy's Jewelry store, and the kdnappers are described as three males, and they have the caller's father "at gunpoint." Several patrol units are responding, and a police helicopter is requested to assist.

11:05 p.m. The LAPD dispatcher has been advised by a Foothill Division patrol unit that "a possible victim of a home invasion" is being held at gunpoint inside a vehicle enroute to the Sherman Way location. (This is related to the "woman screaming" call incident that happened at 10:37 p.m.)

11:06 p.m. LAPD "Air 16" radios to all units that they are on their way to the "kidnapping in progress" call.

11:07 p.m. Lankershim Boulevard and Kittridge Street, North Hollywood
LAPD is called to respond to an "attack just occurred" call. The victim is at the 7-Eleven at the intersection.

11:07 p.m. 12650 Sherman Way, North Hollywood
LAPD North Hollywood units receive a description of the vehicle involved in the "kinapping in progress." It is described as a black late model Mercedes-Benz SUV. It is the victim's vehicle.

11:09 p.m. 6200 block of Beck Avenue, North Hollywood
LAFD is responding to an "unconscious person" at the location.

11:11 p.m.
12650 Sherman Way, North Hollywood
A North Hollywood police officer requests sending a patrol unit to the place where the home invasion robbery/kidnapping first occured. Another police officer advises that the crime originated at the residence on Cobanas Avenue in Tujunga, and a Foothill Division unit is already at the scene.

11:12 p.m. A lead officer requests a "code 5" (stake-out situation; patrol units are not to be seen in the area) at the Sherman Way location.

11:14 p.m. The LAPD dispatcher gives out an update on the vehicle involved in the kidnapping. It is a "2007 Mecedes-Benz SUV with license plate 5YGC426."

11:19 p.m. All LAPD patrol units are reminded of the "Code 5" situation and advised not to be in sight of Nancy's Jewelry store.

11:19 p.m. The lead LAPD unit is hiding out behind the Carl's Jr. that is across the street from Nancy's Jewelry. The lead officer recommends that any other units assisting with the incident to "hide from this caper."

11:25 p.m. The LAPD helicopter unit coordinates with the ground units in finding hiding positions for their patrol cars. Several units are stationed in areas outside of visibility from the Sherman Way store location.

11:27 p.m. The Foothill Division LAPD team tips off the North Hollywood units that a possible female accomplice to the kidnapping caper may be in a separate vehicle scouting out the location prior to the others' arrival at the jewelry store.

11:28 p.m. A North Hollywood officer updates the officers at the Sherman Way location: He advises them that the reporting person, at the original crime scene in Tujunga, is the daughter of the victims. She tells the police that there is probably a 30-minute gap from when she found her mother tied up at the residence to when the kidnappers tied up her mother and took her father from the residence. The officer also advises that there is another Nancy's Jewelry in Glendale, but the daughter says that the kidnappers/robbers are heading to the Sherman Way location. The police helicopter suggests that they make sure the Glendale location is not the destination.

11:30 p.m. Air 16 advises the ground units that they are "low on fuel" and need to depart. Air 16 reports that Air 10 is now in the sky to take their place and "handle this caper."

11:32 p.m. Several dark-colored SUVs have passed by the area and are determined to be a Cadillac Escalade and a Chevy. Another North Hollywood officer has received more information that the kidnappers and their victim is presently at a restaurant. How the police got that information is unknown to the officer, but he says he will find out.

11:33 p.m. The daughter of the kidnap victim has told the police that her father, still with the kidnappers, has called back to the house from his cell phone and provided the new information.

11:33 p.m. An officer on the stakeout has just observed a "Mercedes going eastbound, right now" on Sherman Way. He communicates this the the patrol units hiding behind the Sherman Way McDonald's. Another officer advises the vehicle they are looking for is the GL430, the larger Mercedes-Benz SUV.

11:36 p.m. A North Hollywood patrol unit has followed the Mercedes-Benz and advises that the vehicle has only one occupant. The unit checks the license information and finds that it belongs to another owner, not the kidnapping victim.

11:41 p.m. A couple of "plain cars" are being coordinated to assist at the Sherman Way scene.

11:44 p.m. Another Mercedes-Benz SUV's license plate is checked and is cleared as the vehicle they are looking for.

11:51 p.m. 13000 block of Aetna Street, Van Nuys
Van Nuys Division LAPD units are called to respond to Aetna Street. A possible victim from a "home invasion/kidnapping" has been dropped off at the area. The kidnappers are reported to have taken the victim's vehicle, a black Mercedes-Benz SUV with license plate 5YGC426.

11:56 p.m. Roxford Street and Encinitas Avenue, Sylmar
LAPD Mission Division units are called to respond to a "possible kidnapping." A witness reports hearing a woman screaming from inside a white Dodge van "pulling a blue trailer with white lettering reading: Handyman." The possible kidnapping suspect is described as a "male, with white complexion, short spiky hair and wearing a white shirt." The vehicle is last seen heading southbound on the 5 Freeway. The person reporting can meet police at the Cheveron gas station at the intersection.

Saturday

12:08 a.m. Southbound 5 Freeway near the Lankershim Boulevard off-ramp, Sun Valley
A Mission Division LAPD patrol car is now following the "possible kidnapping suspect," who is driving the white van "pulling the blue trailer with 'Handyman' written on it."

12:09 a.m. The "possible kidnapping suspect" in the white van has taken the northbound Penrose Street exit. The LAPD unit stops the van at the southbound off-ramp.

12:11 a.m. Air 10 is overhead and requests that additional patrol units block the northbound on-ramp at Penrose Street to prevent the possible kidnapping suspect vehicle's escape.

12:11 a.m. Mission Division LAPD informs the North Hollywood Division that the possible kidnapping suspect in the white van is not related to the earlier "home invasion/kidnapping" incident.

12:15 a.m. A Mission Division patrol unit advises to the dispatcher that the possible kidnapping suspect "is in custody."

12:23 a.m. Police are now interviewing the just released kidnapping victim. He tells police that the kidnappers are armed with two "blue steel handguns" and a "gold-colored handgun." He also tells them that they took his cell phone and the keys to the jewelry store.

12:31 a.m. The North Hollywood incident commander at the Sherman Way location advises his officers on some additional information obtained from the victim. Apparently North Hollywood patrol units had responded to the early "unknown trouble call" at Sherman Way at the same time that the kidnappers and their victim were in the area. Because of the police presence, the kidnappers fled the scene in the Merecedes SUV before the police had all the information regarding the crime in progress.

12:33 a.m. Sepulveda Boulevard and Mountaingate Drive, Sepulveda Pass
LAFD Engine 99 and Rescue 99 are called to the scene of an "auto versus bike" injury accident at the intersection.

12:35 a.m.
22250 Elkwood St., Canoga Park
Topanga Division LAPD reports that they have four alleged burglary suspects in custody, with one outstanding. The were caught in the act at Columbus Middle School.

12:36 a.m. 12650 Sherman Way, North Hollywood
North Hollywood LAPD units break down the stakeout for the kidnappers and the officers on the scene return to their regular patrol. A few plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles remain on the scene in case the alleged suspects decide to return to enter the jewelry store.

City News Service reports that the LAPD is still seeking the people suspected of this robbery and kidnapping.