SPATE OF CRIMES DISPROVES THEORY ABOUT WEATHER.Byline: Jesse Hiestand Daily News Staff Writer One of the season's strongest storms Monday challenged utility crews, motorists' patience and a longstanding police theory that cold weather and rain sends crime rates falling. The San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. was hit by a spate of holdups and other crimes during the daylong downpour, including a carjacking The criminal taking of a motor vehicle from its driver by force, violence, or intimidation. The u.s. justice department categorizes the crime of carjacking as a "completed or attempted Robbery of a motor vehicle by a stranger and several armed robberies, said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. police Sgt. Arthur Reyna, a department spokesman. ``It's just always been a historically proven fact that cold weather will keep the criminals from being out and about,'' Reyna said. ``But some criminals will actually take advantage of days like today that are really bad. They know the cops are just knee deep on rescues or trying to protect scenes.'' As the storm rolled in late Sunday, two armed men wearing ski masks robbed the Kenny Rogers Roasters Kenny Rogers Roasters is a chicken restaurant that was started in 1991 in the United States by country music musician Kenny Rogers and former Kentucky Fried Chicken owner and original developer John Y. Brown, Jr. The menu was originally centered on wood-fired rotisserie chicken. in the 5800 block of Reseda Boulevard, Reyna said. Posing as deliverymen, the robbers burst through the back door of the restaurant after it had closed. ``They ordered the manager to open the safe and took approximately $8,000,'' he said. One employee suffered a minor injury while scuffling with one of the robbers. A man armed with a handgun robbed the International House of Pancakes on North Glendale Avenue in Glendale at 10:28 a.m. Monday, said Glendale police Sgt. Rick Young. No customers or employees were injured, but the fleeing suspect, Armondo Lazaro Ruiz, was hit by a truck while running across the Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. . Ruiz, 41, of Montebello suffered minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of robbery after he scrambled back to the freeway shoulder, he said. Shortly before noon Monday, Gary Van Karnig, 38, purportedly stole a car by pulling a motorist out of a late-model Cadillac on Laurel Canyon Boulevard Laurel Canyon Boulevard is a major street in the city of Los Angeles, California. It starts off at Polk Street in Sylmar in the northern San Fernando Valley near the junction of the San Diego (Interstate 405) and the Golden State Freeways (Interstate 5). , near the Ventura Freeway, Reyna said. Karnig led police on a four-minute, high-speed chase that ended when he lost control and crashed, officials said. During the pursuit, Karnig hit a police car, leading to his arrest on suspicion of carjacking and assault on an officer, Reyna said. At 2:38 p.m. Monday, two men attempted to burglarize bur·glar·ize v. bur·glar·ized, bur·glar·iz·ing, bur·glar·iz·es v.tr. 1. To enter and steal from (a building or other premises). 2. a house in the 11300 block of Huston Street in Van Nuys, prompting the homeowner to fire twice into the air with a shotgun, he said. The suspects, one African-American and the other white, fled on foot, he said. |
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