BY AMELIA MATTHEWS
ARTESIA, CA – `Little India’ on Pioneer Blvd here has been recently hit by a number of gold- chain snatching robberies. The typical crime scene is the suspect on foot, ripping off the jewelry from the necks of vulnerable Indian-American women walking alone, before running off. Incidents of such strong arm robberies,
ARTESIA, CA – `Little India’ on Pioneer Blvd here has been recently hit by a number of gold- chain snatching robberies. The typical crime scene is the suspect on foot, ripping off the jewelry from the necks of vulnerable Indian-American women walking alone, before running off. Incidents of such strong arm robberies,
are not new to the `Little India’ market which runs from 182rd Street through 187th street. What is new is the increasing occurrence of these crimes.
Speaking with India Journal, Sgt. Greg Knapp of the Lakewood Sherriff Station, who is the Artesia service area Sergeant, revealed that since January 2018 to date, in a period of just about 7 weeks, there have been five chain snatching robberies for which complaints have been lodged with the police. However, prominent Indian-American merchant Dev Kerai, opines that there may have been more such crimes in the said period which have gone unreported for many reasons. Kerai owns the state- of- the - art Pioneer Cash & Carry on 183rd Street, which draws a slew of shoppers, and was the scene of a chain snatching incident on Jan 26 when an Indian-American woman shopper, a resident of Cerritos, was attacked by a suspect as she was entering the store. The suspect who came on foot grabbed the gold chain on her neck, and took off running. According to Sgt. Knapp, after the complaint was lodged, the police was able to arrest a suspect, a Hispanic male, based on the video footage from the surveillance system provided by Kerai. The arrest was made for unrelated charges and involvement in previous similar robberies. However, as the victim was unable to identify the suspect, the police had to let him go, as there was no evidence to press charges . The investigation is still ongoing with detectives working hard to crack the case, the police said.
In February, according to police sources, two back to back incidents took place on the main Pioneer drag. One near Surati Farsan and the other near the parking structure on 186th Street behind Frontier Heritage. According to police sources, the suspect in both incidents was a black male who was seen driving in a car in the area before committing the crime. The victim who was attacked near the parking structure was able to defend herself against the strong arm tactics of the suspect, and prevented him from snatching her gold chain. The surveillance video of the old Pioneer & Carry on Pioneer Blvd. across the street from the parking structure, was able to capture the crime in progress. In this incident too, Kerai was able to provide the police with the footage and even led the police to the victim, a Artesia resident, who was hesitant to report the incident.
On the basis of the footage provided, the police said they were able to impound a vehicle, allegedly involved in the crimes.
According to Sgt. Knapp, detectives are working on a lead that the suspects are part of a gang operating in the area. The police have reason to believe that this gang was earlier operating in the Westminster and Garden Grove area, preying on Asian women there. Since the chains robbed are made of pure gold, it is easy for the suspects to get `cash for gold’ or sell them to a pawn store, thus disposing off them speedily. Sgt. Knapp assures that the series of chain- snatching robberies will subside with more arrests and disclosed that the police are on top of the situation.
Offering advise to victims, Sgt Knapp says the victims of violent crimes, like chain snatching, should be aware of the U Visa program of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as they can be eligible for this. According to the USCIS website, the U visa is a US nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The U Visa is a temporary form of immigration status that allows a person to lawfully live and work in the US.
He also cautions Indian-American women who visit the area to avoid flashy display of their jewelry , or even better not to wear excessive jewelry when shopping in the market here; walk in pairs and not alone and always be aware of their surroundings.
Highlighting the cooperation of merchants in the area with the police, he urged them to set up efficient security surveillance systems and be ready to provide footage to the police to help in investigating these crimes.
Most important, he said, is that victims and merchants should be willing to come forward and report incidents of crime. Only then will the police be able to take action against criminals and ensure safety of shoppers visiting the area and merchants who own businesses there. Agreeing with this, Kerai too urges merchants and victims to cooperate with the police and not let such crimes go unreported. Victims, he says, do not come forward due to fear. They don’t want to get involved with the police and feel that their gold jewelry can be easily replaced. But by doing this they are only giving more boldness to the suspects to continue these crimes without impunity.Merchants are not reporting as they do not want their businesses to suffer, Kerai says, adding`` It is our responsibility to take action and ensure the area is safe.’’
Speaking on behalf of the Artesia City Council, Councilman Ali Sajjad Taj told India Journal, `` Public safety is the number one priority of the City Council.’’ Adding that the Council was concerned about the safety of the entire city of Artesia, he underscored the fact that the City spends 50 percent of its budget on public safety and law enforcement to ensure that residents, merchants, shoppers and businesses are safe. Taj, who chairs the Artesia Public Safety Committee, speaking about steps the City is taking to curb crime said the City ensures there is always a police car present in the `Little India’ area parked prominently at one of the streets. This acts as a strong deterrent to criminals. He also disclosed that the City is taking many other preventative steps including heighten police presence and tight security during celebrations of festivals like Diwali and India’s Independence Day. Taj himself does an eight-hour drive-along with a member of the Sherriff’s department in the police car, almost every other month to assure residents of the City’s involvement in safety issues. He reveals that overall, crime in Artesia has seen as decline since last year. This he says is positive news as statistics show a spike in crime not only in Los Angeles county but in the entire state of California. As a note of caution to residents and merchants he says,`` If you see something, say something.’’ This he says is the only way police can get involved to curb crime in the area. However, if chain snatching crimes keep rising, business in the `Little India’ market which has been hit over the last couple of years due to the controversial median and the paid parking system, will see an even more drastic impact.
Speaking with India Journal, Sgt. Greg Knapp of the Lakewood Sherriff Station, who is the Artesia service area Sergeant, revealed that since January 2018 to date, in a period of just about 7 weeks, there have been five chain snatching robberies for which complaints have been lodged with the police. However, prominent Indian-American merchant Dev Kerai, opines that there may have been more such crimes in the said period which have gone unreported for many reasons. Kerai owns the state- of- the - art Pioneer Cash & Carry on 183rd Street, which draws a slew of shoppers, and was the scene of a chain snatching incident on Jan 26 when an Indian-American woman shopper, a resident of Cerritos, was attacked by a suspect as she was entering the store. The suspect who came on foot grabbed the gold chain on her neck, and took off running. According to Sgt. Knapp, after the complaint was lodged, the police was able to arrest a suspect, a Hispanic male, based on the video footage from the surveillance system provided by Kerai. The arrest was made for unrelated charges and involvement in previous similar robberies. However, as the victim was unable to identify the suspect, the police had to let him go, as there was no evidence to press charges . The investigation is still ongoing with detectives working hard to crack the case, the police said.
In February, according to police sources, two back to back incidents took place on the main Pioneer drag. One near Surati Farsan and the other near the parking structure on 186th Street behind Frontier Heritage. According to police sources, the suspect in both incidents was a black male who was seen driving in a car in the area before committing the crime. The victim who was attacked near the parking structure was able to defend herself against the strong arm tactics of the suspect, and prevented him from snatching her gold chain. The surveillance video of the old Pioneer & Carry on Pioneer Blvd. across the street from the parking structure, was able to capture the crime in progress. In this incident too, Kerai was able to provide the police with the footage and even led the police to the victim, a Artesia resident, who was hesitant to report the incident.
On the basis of the footage provided, the police said they were able to impound a vehicle, allegedly involved in the crimes.
According to Sgt. Knapp, detectives are working on a lead that the suspects are part of a gang operating in the area. The police have reason to believe that this gang was earlier operating in the Westminster and Garden Grove area, preying on Asian women there. Since the chains robbed are made of pure gold, it is easy for the suspects to get `cash for gold’ or sell them to a pawn store, thus disposing off them speedily. Sgt. Knapp assures that the series of chain- snatching robberies will subside with more arrests and disclosed that the police are on top of the situation.
Offering advise to victims, Sgt Knapp says the victims of violent crimes, like chain snatching, should be aware of the U Visa program of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as they can be eligible for this. According to the USCIS website, the U visa is a US nonimmigrant visa which is set aside for victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The U Visa is a temporary form of immigration status that allows a person to lawfully live and work in the US.
He also cautions Indian-American women who visit the area to avoid flashy display of their jewelry , or even better not to wear excessive jewelry when shopping in the market here; walk in pairs and not alone and always be aware of their surroundings.
Highlighting the cooperation of merchants in the area with the police, he urged them to set up efficient security surveillance systems and be ready to provide footage to the police to help in investigating these crimes.
Most important, he said, is that victims and merchants should be willing to come forward and report incidents of crime. Only then will the police be able to take action against criminals and ensure safety of shoppers visiting the area and merchants who own businesses there. Agreeing with this, Kerai too urges merchants and victims to cooperate with the police and not let such crimes go unreported. Victims, he says, do not come forward due to fear. They don’t want to get involved with the police and feel that their gold jewelry can be easily replaced. But by doing this they are only giving more boldness to the suspects to continue these crimes without impunity.Merchants are not reporting as they do not want their businesses to suffer, Kerai says, adding`` It is our responsibility to take action and ensure the area is safe.’’
Speaking on behalf of the Artesia City Council, Councilman Ali Sajjad Taj told India Journal, `` Public safety is the number one priority of the City Council.’’ Adding that the Council was concerned about the safety of the entire city of Artesia, he underscored the fact that the City spends 50 percent of its budget on public safety and law enforcement to ensure that residents, merchants, shoppers and businesses are safe. Taj, who chairs the Artesia Public Safety Committee, speaking about steps the City is taking to curb crime said the City ensures there is always a police car present in the `Little India’ area parked prominently at one of the streets. This acts as a strong deterrent to criminals. He also disclosed that the City is taking many other preventative steps including heighten police presence and tight security during celebrations of festivals like Diwali and India’s Independence Day. Taj himself does an eight-hour drive-along with a member of the Sherriff’s department in the police car, almost every other month to assure residents of the City’s involvement in safety issues. He reveals that overall, crime in Artesia has seen as decline since last year. This he says is positive news as statistics show a spike in crime not only in Los Angeles county but in the entire state of California. As a note of caution to residents and merchants he says,`` If you see something, say something.’’ This he says is the only way police can get involved to curb crime in the area. However, if chain snatching crimes keep rising, business in the `Little India’ market which has been hit over the last couple of years due to the controversial median and the paid parking system, will see an even more drastic impact.
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