A man and woman have been arrested in connection with the follow-home armed robbery of a mother who was getting her young daughters out of their car seats in Hancock Park last week, police said Friday.
The incident was reported about 12:50 p.m. May 12 as the woman was returning from the post office with her children, the Los Angeles Police Department detailed in a news release.
She was getting the girls out of the car seats when a black BMW 535i vehicle stopped in the middle of the street next to the victim and a man got out and demanded her watch.
He allegedly pointed a gun at the woman and her children and threatened to kill them if she refused to hand over her watch.
The victim complied, the man returned to the waiting BMW and the female driver drove away, police said.
Detectives later determined the man was inside the post office at the same time as the victim and her children. Video from inside the post office showed him appearing to pay close attention to the victim.
“It was determined the suspects followed the victim from the post office to her home,” police said.
The man allegedly involved in the robbery was eventually identified as 38-year-old Ashton Dwight Carter of Los Angeles. His girlfriend, 22-year-old Teresa Whitaker, was allegedly the getaway driver, police said.
Both suspects were arrested on suspicion of robbery on Tuesday.
Police searched Carter’s residence, the BMW involved in the robbery and a Mercedes owned by the pair.
They recovered a semi-automatic handgun, jewelry and more than $56,000 in cash at Carter’s home, but the victim’s watch has not been found.
On Thursday, Carter was charged with one count of robbery, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one count of making criminal threats and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, LAPD said. He was apparently out on bail for a previous felony arrest.
Whitaker was charged with one count of robbery.
Police believe the pair have been involved in other similar incidents, “both reported and unreported.”
They ask any additional victims to call Detective Marsden and Detective Hammer at 213- 486-6840.