Drug Related Home Invasion Robbery

Los Angeles: A home invasion robbery involving drugs resulted in the death of a 31-year-old man.

On March 26, 2009, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Victim Brian Thomas Caufield was shot to death inside his apartment near the 5100 block of Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks.  A preliminary investigation revealed that Caufield sold marijuana from his apartment.  Caufield along with his roommate allowed three men posing as customers to enter their apartment to possibly conduct a drug transaction.  The suspects were known to the victims because they had a prior contact at Caufield’s apartment earlier in the week.  

While inside the victims’ apartment, at least two of the suspects represented themselves as police officers and attempted to rob the victims of drugs and cash.  Canfield’s roommate was handcuffed by one of the suspects and Caufield was taken into a side bedroom by another suspect.  An altercation occurred between Caufield and the unknown suspect that resulted in Caufield being shot.  

The three suspects left the apartment and exited the complex on foot.  A security video camera recorded the 3 suspects entering and leaving the apartment complex.

Paramedics were unable to revive Caufield and pronounced him dead at the scene.    

A search warrant was served and detectives recovered an unknown amount of marijuana and U.S. Currency.   

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Robbery-Homicide Division, Detectives Chuck Knolls or George Diaz, at 213-485-2531.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD.  Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website,  www.lapdonline.org.  All tips may remain anonymous.