Budget Rent and Car heiress Margaux Mirkin, 70, was assaulted and strangled during a home invasion Thursday, KTLA reported today, citing police.
Here’s what we know about the attempted robbery in the Hollywood Hills:
According to the report, a group of masked men broke into a home in the 8500 block of Lookout Mountain Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. About 30 minutes later, neighbors saw a masked man moving around the property and contacted officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, who were called to the home.
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Officers arrived at her Hollywood Hills residence in Los Angeles and learned that the assailants had left Mirkin in her home after allegedly breaking her jaw and suffocating her. The 70-year-old heiress was taken to the hospital with injuries, after which the police announced that she was in a stable condition.
While the full extent of the theft is still unclear, police said the accused stole cash and jewelry from Mirkin’s home. According to neighbors, some of the jewelry belonged to her late husband, who died in a house fire two years ago.
The persons involved have not yet been caught.
The suspects fled Mirkin’s home in a white Honda with jewelry and an unknown amount of cash. It remains unclear how the two suspects got into the house, which is on top of a hill.
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A man who lives in the neighborhood said the scene was disturbing. “The street light was out, so it’s a dark street. It’s up, a cul-de-sac, where there’s not a lot of people. So obviously it’s like an ideal street to break into,” Chris said.
Another said the street was “dark” and a “dead end”, adding: “There aren’t many people on it, so of course it’s like an ideal street for burglaries.”
Police are responding to two more calls in the Hollywood Hills
In two separate incidents, police responded to two more calls in the Hollywood Hills area overnight. Around midnight, officers were called to the 2600 block of Reppert Court, where the homeowner reported the back door was open. Investigators found no evidence of a burglary. The second call came around 00:15. Someone in the 7900 block of Willow Glen reported hearing voices in their yard.
The Hollywood Hills calls come amid a month-long string of burglaries throughout the Los Angeles area.
The number of burglaries in Los Angeles is on the rise
According to KTLA , police responded to at least four homes overnight earlier this week on Tuesday as burglars continued a weeklong burglary spree across the Los Angeles area.
More than a dozen homes have been targeted since the crime wave began earlier this month.
Home invasions are on the rise in Los Angeles, with recent cases reported in Sylmar, Sherman Oaks, Valley Glen and Westwood. In many of these incidents, security footage shows masked individuals, but no arrests have yet been made.
Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, ordered the Los Angeles Police Department to increase patrols and allocate more resources, such as license plate readers, to help identify and apprehend those involved.
Key things
- Home invasions are on the rise in Los Angeles, causing community concern.
- Local authorities are responding by increasing police patrols and resources.
- Residents are urged to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.
