Elderly Bel-Air couple tied up and terrorized for hours as burglars drag away cash-filled safe
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: An elderly couple was left traumatized after they were tied up by criminals who ransacked their Bel Air home, dragged away a safe filled with money, and doused the residence in bleach to cover their tracks. The home burglary took place around 8 pm Friday, April 28, in the 1300 block of Casiano Road in the coveted Los Angeles suburb.
The suspects reportedly broke in as the couple was watching television. They robbed the elderly man, struck him in the head with an unknown object, and restrained his wife. As mentioned, in order to ensure they left no trace of their acts, the burglars doused the couple's home in bleach before fleeing the premises. The homeowner called his son just after midnight to report the incident.
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Law enforcement is investigating the Friday incident and has called on the community for help in identifying the perpetrators as they comb through surveillance footage to find answers. Authorities responded to the scene hours after the break-in. When officers arrived, they found a man in his 70s and his wife in her 60s both injured with non-life-threatening injuries.
The circumstances leading up to the incident are yet to be established, but the son believes his parents were targeted since they own a successful wholesale business that supplies local restaurants with seafood. The business, he said, has been a popular target for crime in the past, but it had never faced extremes like the incident Friday evening. According to the family, the burglars fled with a large safe which was allegedly filled with cash. Footage from the scene of the crime showed black scuff marks on the driveway of the residence, where the safe was dragged.
A neighbor who said she had a word with the victims' son divulged details of the traumatic episode to local news outlets. "I did meet their son this morning and he was very concerned and upset," neighbor Amy Rahbar told KTLA. "His mom was watching TV and she had the door cracked open." The perps reportedly took advantage of the Bel Air property's open door to enter the residence and unleashed hours of terror onto the unsuspecting couple. "They put a bag over her head and they went in for four hours and they bleached everything for fingerprints," Rahbar continued. "They took off with the safe from the house. All internet was stripped down and everything was bleached.” At this point, it is unclear if the couple was the main target or if the thieves were looking for any potential cash grabs in Bel-Air, a neighborhood known for its wealth. "They're lovely neighbors and it's unfortunate to hear what's going on," the neighbor added.
The suspects attempted to destroy any evidence of their crime as they made their way out of the house with an unknown amount of valuables. They used bleach to wipe down the home hoping to get rid of any identifying forensics. The elderly couple reportedly often watched their grandchildren, but they were fortunately not present during the break-in. The couple is said to have sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were not taken to the hospital.
Public records reportedly revealed that the couple, who wasn't identified, has lived at the property since 2003. The family purchased the luxury home for a whopping $1.49 million at the time. The ritzy home in Bel Air is about 3,700 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, per Zillow. Meanwhile, the estimated value of the property today is 3.3 million, per the real estate site RedFin.
If you or anyone you know may have information related to the incident, you are urged to contact the LAPD immediately at 1-877-527-3247.