Two victims driving in a Bentley in Sherman Oaks were targeted and shot at by a gunman on Wednesday in what police say could have been a follow-home robbery.
The victims had arrived at an apartment complex to pick up a friend when they pulled into a gated parking lot.
That’s when the masked robber approached the 27-year-old driver and his passenger, a woman in her 20s, at gunpoint.
“The victim, in fear understandably, accelerated suddenly backwards into the street and struck an uninvolved motorist who was traveling southbound on Coldwater Canyon,” said the Los Angeles Police Department.
At that moment, the gunman began shooting at the Bentley.
Another sedan was also struck by the reversing Bentley. That driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
“I’m in my restroom in my apartment and I hear three loud bangs,” said a neighbor. “After I hear the bangs, I come out and I see people running up and down the street. One of the males was yelling that he’d been shot at.”
Police said the couple may have been targeted for their jewelry, along with their luxury vehicle.
“We’re exploring all possibilities that this was a follow-home type robbery,” said LAPD. “We’re investigating, we’re interviewing victims at this time.”
Investigators believe a second suspect may have been waiting in a getaway car.
“We think it’s very possible he was dropped off in a dark sedan,” said police. “We do not know if he fled on foot or got back into the car at this point.”
The victims described the robber as a young man wearing dark clothing and a mask.
“It’s very unsettling and we have residents here who are very scared to be here right now,” said neighbors at the apartment complex.
The suspect remains at large. Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD at 1-877-275-5273.