First off, Yo! Venice! is not trying to be alarmist, but simply warning the neighborhood of a new problem that does not seem to be isolated.
1. Not all the kids that are magazine peddlers are casing your houses and apartments.
2. Not all the kids that are magazine peddlers are going to rob you.
3. Not all the kids that are magazine peddlers will assault you if you say “go away”.
That said we have been receiving a lot of personal emails here telling us that there is a new problem around Venice (specifically in the Oakwood Section of Venice) with young street punks robbing houses while posing as magazine peddlers. There have been multiple robberies and a mindless physical assault from these young thieves.
As you can read in our forums by clicking here, these home robberies are taking place in the late afternoon and the suspects are described by the victims as “a group of African American kids ages 14-16 wearing backpacks knocking on doors”.
Any suspicious activity should be reported to the police immediately through this dispatch number: 818-734-2223.
That said, use your best judgment when opening your door to any stranger, and when returning home use your eyes and ears to make sure of your safety upon your arrival home.
Please report any further activity to the police and make note of it in our forums.
