LAPD Seek Help Identifying Medical Marijuana Dispensary Robbers

San Fernando Valley: Los Angeles police have arrested a man in connection with a rash of violent medical marijuana dispensary robberies and are asking for the public’s help in identifying a group of suspects also responsible for the robberies and whose images were caught on surveillance camera.

Over the past four months, a group of suspects have targeted and robbed several medical marijuana clinics throughout the San Fernando Valley.  “The crimes have increased in frequency in the levels of violence that have been used against the victims,” said Lieutenant Stephen Carmona.  

In each robbery, the suspects walked into the clinic posing as customers, showed the clerk a handgun and demanded money.  The suspects then fled the location with an unspecified amount of cash and marijuana.

The first in these series of crimes took place on May 23, 2025 in the 6400 block of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Woodland Hills.  A group of men entered the facility and pistol whipped several employees.  One of the employees required hospitalization detectives said.  A large amount of marijuana and cash was taken.  The suspects fled in two separate vehicles described as a silver 4-door Honda Accord with a sunroof and a silver 2-door Mercedes coupe.  The second in the series occurred on August 5, 2009, in the 8200 block of Canoga Avenue.  A group of robbers entered the clinic and stole and undisclosed amount of money and cannabis.   During the robbery, the suspects fired two shots.  Miraculously, no one was injured.  After wards, the bandits took off in an unidentified dark green 4-door sedan.  A third robbery happened on August 15, 2009, in the 23000 block of Ventura Boulevard.  During this incident, a pair of suspects walked into the dispensary and displayed a handgun.  One of the suspects fired a round at the clerk striking him in the back.  The employee was taken to a hospital listed in stable condition.  No property was taken, and the suspects drove off in a burgundy 4-door CLS500 Mercedes.

The burgundy Mercedes used in the Ventura Boulevard robbery was captured on video surveillance.  The video and aggressive enforcement efforts helped detectives track down the vehicle.  On September 2, 2009, police from Topanga Area spotted the vehicle in Woodland Hills, conducted surveillance and arrested a suspect identified as 20-year-old Nicholas Bradford Brown.  He was booked and charged with attempt murder, robbery and faces other felony charges.

The suspects are described only as male Blacks, between 18-30 years of age.  One of the suspects is a male White or Hispanic in his early 20s, stands about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds.  The suspects are considered armed and dangerous.

Investigators are also asking for additional victims and/or witnesses to come forward to help solve these crimes.

Still photos are available through Media Relations Section and video footage could be obtained by logging on to www.lapdtv.org.

Anyone with information about these crimes is urged to call Topanga Area Detective Pam Pitcher at 818-756-4820 or 818-756-3524.  During off-hours, calls may be directed to a 24-hour toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247).  Callers may also text “Crimes” with a cell phone or log on to www.lapdonline.org and click on Web tips.  When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with “LAPD.”  Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Comments

[gr]

the medical marijuana clinics only invite more crime. Im sure there been more crimes like these that have not been reported to the police by the clinics....the city should have acted sooner in limiting, better yet stopping them from opening in the first place.

[paul]

I don't know but
the girl in the video
is an accomplice.

[paul]

To Gr,
That comment is completely asinine,
Those crimals would nock off your grandma,
If criminals rob liquor stores
shall we close them because they sell alchol.
After all I don't drink.

[dani]

its not the clinics fault, they are there to provide for the patients. sure there have been robberies before, but there has been a group of men in the past 2-3 months that have been on a robbing spree. dont blame the collectives, its not there fault. blame the indecency of ignorant young people.

[Swami Squad]

Patient= drug addict.

Collective=drug dealer.

I just wanted to provide a translation for our out-of-state readers.

Carry on.

[Barry]

You blame the clinics, who are there to provide a legal service?

Banks get robbed maybe we should close all of the banks?

After all it's the banks fault for having the money in the first place!

[Olden Atwoody]

Maybe we should start actually jailing people for crime, instead of letting them out?

Sheriff Joe's Arizona Tent City prison is a very good idea, folks.

[Jack]

It is funny how people think it is legal to profit from a marijuana clinic. that is why they are operating illegal. They make money hand over fist, do not pay taxes, and we sit here and watch it happen. Marijuana clinics are not supposed to be profiting from business. That is why robberies are up, because they have loads of money there for the taking when they shouldn't even be making that money. So yes, marijuana clinics have caused 211's to rise despite what others want to believe, it is fact. It is amazing how people support the business, when people buy drugs and then sell to your 16 and 17 year old kid because he has trouble sleeping. This is a joke, I can't believe we have allowed these criminals (marijuana clinics) to take over. There is a direct correlation to the rise in crime to the opening of these clinics.

[Informed]

Jack. i think your comment is completly misinformed and biased. Keep on drinking your alcohol. I mean, that isnt a drug right? It is only the remains of some type of decomposed matter. And marijuana is so evil, because its a plant that can do many things and was outlawed for completely stupid reasons. I bet you dont even know that Henry Ford's First car was made to run on ethanol from marijuana. It was even made from a natural marijuana plastic. BUT, some ignorant people decided it was a better idea to use petrolium. Look what it has caused us now. We now rely on the Arabic Nations for our oil and are finaly reliazing that we are destroying our planet when we could have avoided all these thing by just informing ourselves with valid information rather than complete lies. Go take a look at reefer madness and see what you think. If you think that was a valid showing of what the plant does, come back here and show us some proof. And dispensaries do pay taxes.

[Jack]

Informed, you forgot to address how there is a direct relationship to increase of robberies at the buildings where marijuana is dispensed. I never argued that it was harmful, but it has caused criminal's opportunity to commit crimes. And i still doubt they pay taxes. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. I am sure you suffer from a terrible case of insomnia. give me a break.. And according to you it was outlawed for stupid reasons, well it still does not change the fact that the majority dispensaries, almost all, operate outside the parameters of the law. pick up a book and stop listening to the rhetoric and propaganda that you hear. I am all for the 80 year old man that needs the use of marijuana to keep his food down and aid his diet. I do not agree with the constant use by complainers for their so-called insomnia, etc..