Korean woman robbed of cash and check worth $13,000 in Koreatown bank parking lot

A Korean customer was robbed of over $10,000 in broad daylight at a bank parking lot in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

The robbery occurred on the afternoon of August 15 around 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a Korean Bank on Olympic Boulevard. According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), two Black suspects approached the victim as she was about to enter the bank and forcibly took a bank deposit bag containing cash before fleeing the scene.

The LAPD reported that the deposit bag contained $3,000 in cash and a $10,000 check. The suspects were last seen escaping northbound in a new model white BMW without license plates. No weapons were used during the crime.

A bank employee stated, “The victim, a Korean woman, was on her way into the bank carrying the bag under her arm while talking on the phone when she was robbed.” It was confirmed that the woman was not injured during the incident. The bank official added, “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement in connection with this case.”

The Olympic Police Station, which is handling the investigation, is currently reviewing nearby CCTV footage to track down the suspects. According to the police, one suspect is believed to be in his 30s and was wearing a black beanie, a gray sweater, and white shoes at the time of the crime. The other suspect was wearing a white shirt.

This incident follows a similar robbery in June, where a Korean individual was robbed of $20,000 after withdrawing money from a Chase Bank in Koreatown. In that case, the suspects slashed the victim’s car tires, pretended to offer assistance, and then stole the cash-filled envelope from the vehicle before fleeing the scene.

Additionally, on March 8, a robbery occurred near 9th Street and Western Avenue at around 2 p.m., where an assailant threatened a Korean man in his 60s with a handgun and stole his valuables.

BY SUAH JANG, YOONJAE JUNG, YOUNGNAM KIM [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]