Hollywood Medical Marijuana Facility Robbed

Los Angeles: Two men, posing as Los Angeles police officers, robbed the Hollywood Patient Collective on August 27, 2006, netting over $14,000 in cash and drugs. Detectives have released surveillance footage in the hope that someone might recognize either of the robbers.

The clinic is located in the 6100 block of Selma Avenue. The robbery occurred at 9:30 PM, but was not reported until the next day. The victims blamed the delay on threats by the robbers, who took some of the victims’ identification.

Two Black men, one wearing an LAPD baseball cap and Hawaiian shirt, came in through a security door. They claimed to be LAPD officers and handcuffed the eight persons inside the facility, including the owner, an armed security guard, and an employee. The other persons were patrons, or patients, who were smoking marijuana.

"The robbers posed as police officers to convince the security guard to surrender his gun," said LAPD spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vernon. "Several of the victims were handcuffed, others had their hands bound by plastic zip ties, similar to those used by police in mass arrest situations."

One suspect patted down the owner after binding his hands, then took $2,000 cash from his pocket.

"The suspects knew a lot about the store’s operation," Vernon said. "They looked in the safe and demanded an employee retrieve a laptop they seemed to know he possessed."

While one suspect watched the victims, the other filled trash bags with marijuana, valued at $12,000.

The clinic had video surveillance that recorded the robbery. Still photographs show the suspects’ faces. The suspect in the Hawaiian shirt can be seen handling a radio, which was in reality a police scanner.

Anyone with information on this robbery is asked to call Hollywood Robbery detectives at 213-972-2955. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (1-877-529-3855).

Video Surveillance