|
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
Please
click on this link
to see PRESS RELEASE from Redondo Beach attempted
abduction.
 |
