Pigeon Drop Suspects Sought

 
What:
Press Conference
When:
Thursday, July 12, 2001
4:00 P.M.
Where:
Harbor Area Community Police Station
2175 John S. Gibson Boulevard
San Pedro

Los Angeles – On Wednesday, January 17, 2001, at approximately 12:00 P.M., two suspects, a male Black and a female Black, approached a female Hispanic victim at a Target Store parking lot located at Figueroa Street and Sepulveda Boulevard. The female suspect told the male suspect and the victim that she had inherited twenty thousand dollars and would like to donate it to charity. She further told the victim that she wanted to give ten thousand dollars to the victim, and to the male suspect.
The female suspect advised the victim and the male suspect that they would have to prove they had money in order to receive the ten thousand dollars. The three went to the Bank of America at Carson Street and Main Street. The male suspect entered the bank, then returned with what appeared to be an envelope of cash for the female suspect. The victim went to her own bank, but she did not withdraw any money because she became suspicious. The female suspect convinced the victim to go to the Bank of America at 951 Avalon Boulevard where the male suspect accompanied the victim inside the bank. The victim withdrew two thousand dollars and gave it to the female suspect who in turn gave a handkerchief allegedly containing money, which was really cut up pieces of newspaper, to the victim. The two suspects then departed the location leaving the victim.
Later, the victim discovered that the handkerchief was stuffed with paper, not money. She returned to the Target Store in effort to find the male suspect, as he had told her that he worked there. An employee advised the victim that a similar situation had occurred to another person.
A bank surveillance photograph of the male suspect will be available at the press conference.
Anyone with information regarding these suspects is urge to contact Harbor Area Detective Kathleen McCarthy at 310-548-7621.