Police asked for the public’s help Thursday in tracking down a man who’s robbed more than a dozen people at gunpoint in the San Fernando Valley over the past two years.
Dubbed the “Moving Bandit,” the man gets victims into his car by asking for help moving furniture, then drives to a residential area where he robs and abandons them, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
He’s targeted at least 17 victims since May 2018, mostly around Arleta, Pacoima and Panorama City. The most recent incident occurred Feb. 8 in Van Nuys, on the 6800 block of Firmament Avenue, investigators said.
The other known incidents include:
- May 13, 2018, at Valerio Street and Van Nuys Boulevard in Van Nuys
- Aug. 27, 2018, at Van Nuys Boulevard and Avenue in Pacoima
- Jan. 27, 2019, at Roscoe and Van Nuys boulevards in Panorama City
- Feb. 10, 2019, on the 9200 block of Dorrington Place in Arleta
- March 15, 2019, on the 8500 block of Van Nuys Blvd in Panorama City
- March 16, 2019, on the 13800 block of Wingo Street in Pacoima, and at Superior Street and Orion Avenue in North Hills
- June 23, 2019, on the 13900 block of Daventry Street in Pacoima
- Aug. 16, 2019, at Van Nuys Boulevard and Telfair Avenue in Pacoima
- Aug. 18, 2019, at Roscoe and Laurel Canyon boulevards in Sun Valley
- Aug. 25, 2019, at Van Nuys Boulevard and Nordhoff Street in Panorama City
- Sept. 7, 2019, on the 9100 block of Van Nuys Boulevard in Panorama City
- Sept. 22, 2019, at Woodley Avenue and Rayen Street in North Hills
- Oct. 24, 2019, on the 13200 block of Mercer Street in Pacoima
- Dec. 29, 2019, at Van Nuys and Glenoaks boulevards in Pacoima
- Feb. 2, 2020, at Van Nuys and Roscoe boulevards in Panorama City
The man picks up people on foot in commercial areas before taking them into a neighborhood, brandishing a black handgun and taking their cash, police said. Three of the incidents are classified as grand thefts, while the rest are robberies.
Police released surveillance video in the Sept. 22 incident, showing the suspect driving a white Chevy Suburban as he approaches people outside a strip mall.
The man usually works alone, although in two of the robberies he was accompanied by three or four other people, LAPD said.
The bandit has been spotted in various truck and SUVs, including a Ford F-150 and Expedition, GMC Yukon, Chevy Silverado and Suburban, and Dodge Ram, according to police.
Detectives say the thief is a Latino man about 40 to 55 years old with black hair and brown eyes. He measures around 5 feet, 5 inches, to 5 feet, 9 inches, tall and weighs between 200 and 250 pounds.
A $15,000 reward has been tied to tips leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Anyone with information can contact detectives Teresa Alonzo or Daniel Jaramillo at 213-486-6840, or call 877-527-3247 after normal business hours. Anonymous tips may be submitted via 800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org.
