Robbers Target Trader Joe's In LA Area

CULVER CITY, CA – Put down your Joe-Joe's Sandwich Cookies and your Speculoos Spread: Trader Joe's, quite possibly the friendliest neighborhood grocery store around, has seen an uptick in some unfriendly behavior at their Los Angeles-area stores lately. At least seven armed robberies have occurred at Trader Joe's grocery stores in recent months, authorities said.

Most recently, two men walked into a Culver City Trader Joe's on April 12. One man took a position at the door, while the other waved a gun and forced the store manager to fill a white leather bag with about $4,800 in cash, according to Los Angeles Times. They then fled on foot, Culver City Police Lt. Randy Vickrey said.

A Long Beach store was robbed twice in two weeks: the first took place around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 15, when police said a suspect pulled a gun on a store employee, demanded money and fled on foot; the next robbery was similar in nature at the same time of day on March 2.

Los Angeles police are investigating four armed robberies at Trader Joe's in the last month, Capt. Billy Hayes, head of the agency's Robbery-Homicide Division, told Los Angeles Times. No injuries have been reported in any of the robberies. Authorities believe the Los Angeles cases are connected, but are also investigating whether the Culver City and Long Beach robberies are also linked, the newspaper reported. It's not clear why thieves are targeting Trader Joe's.

No arrests have been made in any of the cases. Authorities have asked anyone with information about the robberies to call a police department or submit tips to a hotline at 1-800-222-8477.

To read more about the Trader Joe's traitors, see The Los Angeles Times.

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