Los Angeles Police Department investigators are seeking a male suspect who allegedly followed a victim home in Hancock Park on May 12 and robbed her at gunpoint as she took her children out of her vehicle.

The robbery occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. in the 300 block of South Muirfield Road. Police said the suspect stole an expensive watch from the victim and fled. No injuries were reported.

Investigators described the incident as part of a citywide crime trend of follow-home robberies being committed by multiple different gangs. The case is being investigated by the LAPD’s Follow-Home Robbery Task Force, which is comprised of detectives from the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division.

“The victim was just taking her children out of their car seats in the back seat and the gunman appeared, demanded her watch and threatened to shoot the children,” Det. Chris Marsden said. “She had just arrived at home. We believe she may have been followed from an unknown location. She complied and gave the suspect her watch. He got into a car driven by another suspect and left.”

Officers from the LAPD’s Wilshire Division responded and searched the area but were unable to locate the getaway vehicle, which was described as a black luxury sedan driven by a white woman. Marsden said Robbery-Homicide Division investigators were also called to the scene.

According to an alert issued by the SSA Security Group, which provides private security services in the neighborhood, repairs were being made at the victim’s home and she did not want to leave the watch there while running errands. Marsden declined to provide any further specific details about the robbery, including the brand of the watch that was stolen. However, he said watches and expensive jewelry have frequently been stolen during the recent follow-home robberies.

“It’s become quite the common theme in all of these,” Marsden added. “These suspects are aware of what types of watches they are after and they follow victims. What was different about this one is it was only one suspect. Usually, there are multiple suspects. Nonetheless, he said, ‘Give me the watch,’ so we think he had already seen the watch.”

Anyone with information about the crime is urged to call investigators with the Follow-Home Robbery Task Force at (213)486-6840. During weekends and off-hours, call the LAPD’s hotline at (877)LAPD247.