A man suspected in a string of Westside robberies, including two in Santa Monica, was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department detectives on Friday, August 22, at around 3:30 a.m., when he was observed casing locations in West Los Angeles. Jefferey Langford, 53, who, according to LAPD, “had an extensive criminal record and was known to target his victims in the West Los Angeles area,” was booked for robbery and is being held on $2.7 million bail.
LAPD reported that “[s]ince May 27, 2008, Langford is believed to be responsible for 15 robberies. … At least 12 of the robberies occurred in West Los Angeles, and several others in neighboring cities of Santa Monica and Culver City.”
Santa Monica police spokesman Sgt. Renaldi Thruston said that the SMPD believes Langford is the man responsible for two recent Sunset Park residential robberies, one in the 2300 block of 22nd Street on July 18 and one in the 1200 block of Ashland Avenue on August 8.
In each of those cases, the suspect – described as a man wearing dark clothing with a dark mask covering his face, in one case of unknown race and in the other as African American – entered the home of an elderly woman living alone in the pre-dawn hours (3:30 and 2:45 a.m. respectively) and rummaged through her house and stole several personal items. In each case, detectives did not verify how the suspect gained entry.
These facts are consistent with the LAPD report: “All of the victims were between the ages of 70 and 97, most living alone. The majority of the robberies occurred between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and were perpetrated by an African American man wearing a ski mask and gloves. The suspect made entry by prying open windows with a screwdriver.”
LAPD reports, “Evidence recovered at the arrest scene was analyzed and linked Langford to previous robberies” and says, “The investigation is ongoing and detectives look to link Langford to more robberies.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD Robbery Homicide Division Detectives Tracey Benjamin or Jason DeLaCova at 213.485.2511; on weekends and off hours, call the toll free LAPD Detective Information Desk at 877.LAWFULL (529.3855).
