‘Follow-home’ robberies have spurred a new department for the LAPD — but it didn’t stop the suffering of one family.
, Christopher founded a mentoring business to help boys who want to play college football assemble their college application materials. He also helped take care of his grandmother “in her final stages of dementia,” and always stood up for his younger brother Tyler, who suffers from schizophrenia, Martin recalled.
“In many cases, the victims are not even having a chance to comply [and hand over their valuables],” Captain Jonathan Tippet, head of the LAPD’s Follow-Home Robbery Task Force, told The Post. “They are being tackled, punched, hit and pistol-whipped.” “In my 34 years with the LAPD I have never seen this type of criminal behavior,” said Tippet, “with people in large groups … up to five carloads of individuals, and most of them appear to be armed, coordinating amongst themselves to target people.”
According to Tippet, the “follow-home” crime surge is attributable at least in part to reluctance on the part of the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon to seek the stiffest possible sentences for suspected gang members. He has moved to deny “gang and gun enhancements” — provisions allowing prosecutors to seek longer prison sentences for gang-related crime or crime that causes grave bodily injury. Meanwhile, state policies have reduced bail requirement.
Gascon’s office sent a statement maintaining that they are “deeply concerned” about follow-home robberies and asserting that asking if their office’s policies could be contributing to the violent crime wave is “dishonest and preposterous.” Rudich added, “Most jewelers keep quiet about this because they don’t want the publicity; it keeps customers out of the store.The suspects were “watching and stalking” Christopher Martin’s group, which included several former and current UC Davis college football players and an older male relative of one, who was driving a rented luxury SUV for the birthday celebration, according to Dupree.
Christopher, who had come to the party in his own car, was standing outside the SUV and talking with the driver, when the suspects ran to the car, shouting “Give me the jewelry!” One of them pointed a gun at the driver — the older male relative of the man celebrating his birthday — “and Christopher yelled, ‘No! Stop!’” according to Dupree.
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