The Valley's 'Bonnie and Clyde' Arrested, Say Police

Police today said they have arrested a young man and a young woman -- two “Bonnie and Clyde” type robbers -- who had terrorized the West San Fernando Valley with at least two armed robberies and two burglaries.

At one point, Angela Ajzip, 19, helped Francisco Mercado, 21, rob a store she was employed at, in the 7600 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to a Los Angeles Police Department report.

Mercado, a known gang member on parole, was positively identified Thursday as a suspect in two armed robberies and two burglaries in the Woodland Hills area, according to the LAPD.

During one of the robberies, he reportedly pointed an semiautomatic handgun at his victim and demanded money.

On Friday, Mercado reportedly committed another robbery, police said. LAPD detectives issued a crime alert detailing his physical description and the vehicle he was believed to be driving.

Officers recognized Mercado and Ajzip fleeing the area. Officers tried to stop their vehicle. The man jumped from the car, the woman drove south on Farralone Avenue, and crashed into an uninvolved citizen’s vehicle.

She was taken into custody and a large perimeter was set up for Mercado. He broke into a nearby unoccupied home and holed himself inside a closet there, where he was discovered and bit by a police dog. He was taken into custody.

Both Mercado and Ajzip were arrested for suspicion of robbery.

Topanga station police detectives asked anyone with any information regarding the robberies to call them at (818) 756-4830.

OTHER PATCH HEADLINES

• Racist Flyer Telling Black Tenants to Be Quiet Is a Mystery, Property Management Says
• Bystanders Rescue Teen from Accused Rapist, Police Say
• Newport Beach Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint
• Father and Son Killed in Murder-Suicide Identified
• Deadline Approaching for IRS Grants
• Standoff Ends in Apparent Murder-Suicide of Toddler and Man
• Alleged South County Housekeeper Burglars Head to Court

City News Service