Florida couple visiting LA robbed at gunpoint, victim shot in leg
The suspects wore black ski masks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida couple visiting Los Angeles were robbed on Wednesday afternoon and one of the victims was shot in the leg, according to reports.
The couple were walking to their rental car after spending a day at the beach in the Venice neighborhood when two men wearing black ski masks approached them, FOX 11 in Los Angeles reported.
The suspects demanded the man’s Cartier watch and when he refused they shot him in the leg and drove off in a white sedan, KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported. They headed northbound on Dell Boulevard, according to FOX 11.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}April 17, 2016: Venice is a residential, commercial and recreational beachfront neighborhood on the Westside of the city of Los Angeles. (iStock)
The man was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. It’s unclear if his girlfriend was injured.
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No detailed description of the suspects was available.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three luxury watches in a row. The victim was reportedly robbed of his Cartier watch. (iStock)
The West Coast city has been plagued over the last few months by a string of smash-and-grab and follow-home robberies.
The LAPD launched the "Follow Home Task Force" last November in response to the "ongoing crime trend" in which suspects target victims in affluent areas of Los Angeles before following them until they enter an isolated area, such as a parking lot or home, and robbing them, police said.
"The target of these robberies has been expensive jewelry, including watches and necklaces, as well as expensive purses," a community alert said late last year. "Victims also have been targeted based on the type of vehicle they are driving."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.