A brazen daylight armed robbery attempt in the Valley Glen area led to a three-car collision and sent a woman to a hospital with minor injuries Wednesday, and the suspect — who fired off at least two shots without hitting anyone — remained at large.
According to police, a young man driving a tan Bentley with a female passenger pulled into a driveway along Coldwater Canyon Avenue and the Ventura (101) Freeway to pick up a friend late Wednesday morning, when he was approached by a masked gunman demanding money and jewelry.
The driver responded by putting the car in reverse and quickly backing away, in the process striking a red sedan driven by a woman reported to be in her 70s. Both vehicles then struck a parked car.
Police said the gunman fired at least two shots, but no one was struck. The suspect then jumped into a waiting vehicle, described only as a dark-colored sedan, and was driven away.
LAPD Capt. Marla Ciuffetelli told reporters at the scene the driver of the Bentley appeared to have been specifically targeted, noting that “he did have nice jewelry and he was in a nice vehicle.”
The driver, identified as Lee Dawson, told KCAL9 at the scene, “This is America, L.A., you’ve got to keep your head on a swivel.”
The woman whose car was struck by the Bentley was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Police impounded another vehicle that was parked at a nearby gas station, with investigators suspecting it was abandoned there by the gunman.