Follow-Up: ELB's Trader Joe's Location (Bellflower Blvd. South of 405) Was Hit By Armed Robberies In Mid-Feb and Early March; LBPD Has Surveillance Video And Is Working With Other Police Agencies To Determine Whether It's Related To Armed Robberies At Other L.A.-Area Trader Joe's Locations

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ELB's Trader Joe's Location (Bellflower Blvd. South of 405) Was Hit By Armed Robberies In Mid-Feb and Early March; LBPD Has Surveillance Video And Is Working With Other Police Agencies To Determine Whether It's Related To Armed Robberies At Other L.A.-Area Trader Joe's Locations

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(April 25, 2018) -- LBPD has confirmed that ELB's Trader Joe's location (Bellflower Blvd. south of the 405 freeway) was the victim of armed robberies in mid-February and early March 2018, has released a suspect description, says it has surveillance video and confirms it's working with other police agencies to determine if the ELB armed robberies may be related to armed robberies of Trader Joe's stores in other L.A.-area cities.

LBPD Public Information Officer Nancy Pratt tells LBREPORT.com:

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On Feb. 15, 2018 at about 8:30 p.m. and on March 2, 2018 at about 8:30 p.m., officers responded to Trader Joe's located in the 2200 block of Bellflower Blvd. regarding a robbery that had occurred
In each incident, the lone male suspect (description below) entered the business armed with a handgun and demanded money from an employee
The suspect fled the location both times before police arrived, with an undisclosed amount of currency
No injuries were reported in either incident
Whether the incidents are related remains under investigation
Surveillance video was collected, however, that footage is not being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation

The suspect has been described as male, African-American, 5'8" to 6' tall, 160-180 lbs., and 25-35-years-old.
LBPD Robbery detectives are in communication with other law enforcement agencies in the region to determine whether there's any connection to incidents [at other Trader Joe's location in the L.A. area] that have taken place in those jurisdictions. LBPD has also been in contact with Trader Joe's and provided crime prevention information, as we routinely do with businesses throughout our City.

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LBPD asks anyone with information about these two crimes to contact LBPD Robbery Detective J.J. Johnson at (562) 570-7464. Anonymous tips may be submitted through "LA Crime Stoppers" by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.

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On April 20, Trader Joe's put the following announcement on its website:

To Our Valued Customers:
The safety of our customers and Crew Members is at the top of our minds, at all times, in all that we do. We trust our customers and do not conduct surveillance on them. When necessary, we take appropriate action, including having security cameras and security guards in our stores, to help ensure the safety of our customers and Crew Members. Maintaining a welcoming and safe environment within our stores is of paramount importance to us.

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