Free Republic

A large group of teenagers raided a Home Depot in Lakewood Friday night, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. At approximately 7:55 p.m., a group of about 18 teenagers were approached by Home Depot employees at the tool section of the store located on 5000 Hardwick St. They were all escorted to the front door, when they took all types of merchandise, police said. The thieves fled in about 10 vehicles and drove away in different directions....

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announced Tuesday he is setting up a task force to apprehend follow-home robbers, saying the department has not seen violent hold-ups "like this in decades." The troubling trend, which has targeted celebrities and upscale restaurants in recent months, turned deadly in the predawn hours Tuesday when a man was gunned down during an attempted robbery outside Bossa Nova restaurant in Hollywood. The department is already investigating at least 133 such robberies from areas including the Sunset Strip, Melrose Avenue, the Jewelry District and Westside shopping areas. In the latest incident, a man was sitting...