Armed and Dangerous Gangsters on a Crime Spree Captured NR15185jr

Los Angeles: On Friday, May 29, 2015, LAPD Topanga Area officers captured two dangerous suspects who had earlier committed several violent crimes in the northern suburb of Topanga, in the city of Los Angeles.

On May 28, 2015, 21-year-old Francisco Mercado was positively identified as a suspect involved in two armed robberies and two burglaries in the Topanga area. Mercado is a known gang member on parole and he allegedly pointed an unknown caliber semi-auto handgun at his victim and then demanded their property. The following day, May 29, 2015, after Mercado reportedly committed another Robbery, the Los Angeles Police Department issued a crime alert detailing Mercado’s physical description and the vehicle he was believed to be driving.

During the Robbery on May 29th, Mercado was joined by a female accomplice who was later identified as 19-year-old Angela Ajzip, an employee of the store he robbed on the 7600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

Topanga Area officers were responding to a radio call when they recognized Mercado and Ajzip fleeing the area. Officers attempted to stop their vehicle as Mercado jumped from the car and Ajzip drove off southbound on Farralone Avenue, crashing into an uninvolved citizen’s vehicle. Officers immediately took Ajzip into custody and a large perimeter was set up to capture the fleeing Mercado. Following his bailing out of the getaway vehicle, Mercado broke into a nearby unoccupied residence and secreted himself into a closet where he was later discovered and bit by a police dog and then taken into custody. Both Mercado and Ajzip were booked for 211 PC, Robbery.

Anyone with information about this incident is requested to call LAPD Topanga Area Robbery Detectives at (818) 756-4830. During non-business hours or on the weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.