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Police Searching for Knife-Wielding Alexandria Robber

By Eric Richardson
Published: Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 10:22AM
Video Still from Alexandria Hotel Robbery Video Still Courtesy LAPD

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Police are searching for a man who early Tuesday morning robbed a married couple at knifepoint inside the Alexandria Hotel.

The suspect, described as a black man wearing a light polo shirt, broke into the couple's room while they were sleeping at approximately 4am. They awoke to find him standing over them with a knife.

“Most burglars go out of their way to avoid confrontation,” explained Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Central Detective Division. “This suspect was not afraid of running into his victims, and perhaps, intended to all along. That makes him more dangerous.”

Items taken included laptops, cash and ATM cards. According to police, the couple cooperated with the suspect in giving him their PIN numbers.

Police describe this type of burglary -- one in which residents are present -- as a "hot prowl." Though less commons, the incidents can be more dangerous.

Surveillance video from the hotel shows the suspect walking through the garage and into a stairway.

“It’s possible the suspect lives in the hotel himself, or in the neighborhood,” Lt. Vernon added. “We hope someone will recognize him so we can arrest him before he hurts someone.”

Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Alfredo Rasch, Central Robbery Unit, at .

Video Released by LAPD

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Conversation

User_32

on September 23, 2010, at 10:53AM – #1

Can we get an update if and when this man is caught?


Rich Jesmer on September 23, 2010, at 11:03AM – #2

Helping a buddy move in there this weekend. He's going to love this story!


Guest 1

Guest on September 23, 2010, at 01:11PM – #3

How did he get in their apartment?


on September 23, 2010, at 03:39PM – #4

Another reason I love this site... I live 1 block away and would never have even heard about this incident except for this website.

I think awareness it at least 50% of the battle as a community in situations like this. Thanks BDT!


User_32

Downtown Cowboy on September 23, 2010, at 03:41PM – #5

where was security?


User_32

on September 23, 2010, at 04:13PM – #6

again great reporting. Call 311 on ALL things that seem out of place. Better safe than sorry.


Guest 2

Guest on September 23, 2010, at 04:23PM – #7

that's not a polo shirt...


Guest 3

Guest on September 23, 2010, at 06:26PM – #8

Last week, 2 convertible cars broken into at Joe's main & 9th lot. Yesterday night, my car got broken into at Joe's 750 Spring st lot. At least I didnt hear about anyone die recently... but I might have missed a few reports. Police said that there has been a lot of vandalism activity recently...

Anyone know of any other good parking solutions in the Spring & 7th area?


Veronica Harrington-Myers on September 23, 2010, at 07:11PM – #9

Was their door unlocked?


User_32

() on September 23, 2010, at 08:36PM – #10

See this is why Downtown needs to keep cleaning up...but don't you dare say it...you'd be an egomaniac hipster if you did.

I think its a shame...I hear the Alexandria is like 50% decent folk 50% crackheads. Let's do away with the crackheads and criminals.


User_32

DavidAC on September 23, 2010, at 10:05PM – #11

Hipsters aren't egomaniacs. They've usually got low or no self esteem, not too much.

On cleaning up downtown - I agree, but I think that all the other LAPD districts should be cleaned up first, because the crime rate in all of those districts is higher than it is in central district. Anectotes are not data, even if you're frightened by them...


Guest 4

Guest on September 23, 2010, at 10:56PM – #12

The old Greyhound station parking at Los Angeles/6th/7th is safer than it looks.


Guest 3

Guest on September 23, 2010, at 11:04PM – #13

Veronica: They targeted convertibles, and instead of unlocking the door, just created a new one. They managed to unlock my door with some trick, tried also to cut the roof but did it on the side where you can't reach anything. The only thing taken was the panel of the cheap radio which doesnt work anyway...

Anyway still looking for alternative parking solutions. I'm hoping maybe renting a space in one of the buildings on spring? Is that something that happens?

Guest #12: that parking lot will protect the car, but walking that block in the early AM doesnt seem like an option to me.


Guest 5

Guest on September 24, 2010, at 01:19AM – #14

The Alexandria was not allowed to clean up the place because LA CAN members took them to court.. so don't blame the Alexandria owners , blame the drug dealer front people called Los Angeles Community Action Network .. just the other day there were LA CAN members wearing their orange shirts right in front of the Rossylyn Hotel , the one SRO just took over , selling prescription drugs.

Anyone to blame for criminals in the area need to look at Single Room Occupancy Housing Corporation and LA CAN.. the LEONIDE residents sell drugs out of it to hipsters all night long... and two LA CAN members are fronts for it.


Guest 6

Guest on September 24, 2010, at 06:03AM – #15

It's nice whenever the description of a person in a crime -- or who's homeless and deranged -- doesn't fit the stereotype.

Oh, well.


Matthew Luis Rodriguez on September 24, 2010, at 09:25AM – #16

What a shame. I hope they catch the jerk, and that the couple gave him fake pin numbers.

I just moved here and an blissfully surprised by the sense of community, especially around a tragic episode like this.


Guest 7

Guest on September 24, 2010, at 10:30AM – #17

LA CAN worked to prevent the new owners of the Alexandria from illegally evicting anyone from the building. Some long-time residents had nice, desirable rooms and the new owners wanted to move them into tiny "micro lofts" with no views. These residents were often poor and LA CAN empowered them to fight back!

There was also some profiling going on. Anyone who LOOKED like a drug user was harassed, even if he did not have a drug record. Poor people were singled out for mistreatment.

In short, LA CAN labored in the name of tenant rights.

Of course, some feel that the entire building should be emptied and turned over to hipsters and their designer drugs. Ecstasy, you see, is just fine as long as the user is of a certain class, race or status.

Of course some, like Hala Pickford, will jump on the fact that the criminal in this case is black. She'll reason that all blacks are evil and cause blight and foul up her pretty landscape.

LA CAN works hard so that bigots like Pickford don't have their discriminating ways.


User_32

DavidAC on September 24, 2010, at 11:22AM – #18

Well said. Making sure that downtown's low income residents can continue to live here should be a huge priority for everyone. It is the cultural and social diversity that affordable housing enables that makes downtown worth living in.

BTW - interesting self observation here: 'Crackhead' as a codeword for a prejudiced stereotype is obviously bad and evil, but 'hipster' as a codeword for a prejudiced stereotype kinda feels good. Why is that?


User_32

Alexey Semenov () on September 24, 2010, at 02:14PM – #19

been living in the alexandria for 6 months, and definitely gonna move out as soon as my agreement expires. i can't handle this shit anymore. the building is infested with bedbugs and cockroaches! crazy stinky people in the elevators... no thank. unfortunately i didnt know what would I face here when i was signing the contract... I hope our management is reading my comment and gonna take some measures to resolve at least some problems if they cant kick this crazy people out


Guest 5

Guest on September 24, 2010, at 02:48PM – #20

LA CAN is a front for drug dealers. They will continue to fight for the criminal element. No one likes or cares about LA CAN . They did not fight for tenants rights. Many believe they fought a fraud.

As long as LA CAN is around, the criminal element will be protected.


Guest 8

Guest on September 26, 2010, at 12:07AM – #21

Look carefully at the right hand side between 00:32 and 00:34. You can see the feet of the security guard moving. He was right there and let the guy enter.


() on September 26, 2010, at 12:21AM – #22

Why can't a close-up of his face be posted? It can't be that hard to blow up the video.


Guest 9

Guest on September 26, 2010, at 11:38AM – #23

guest 21...I think those are two rats!!!


David Markland on September 26, 2010, at 04:04PM – #24

We tried blowing up the image - it doesn't get any better.



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