Armed gangs terrorising affluent idyll of Malibu
Violent criminals following targets home and waiting for the best time to attack them in their homes
L‘One suspect had been involved in eight follow-home robberies in a six-month period and was arrested and released six times’
ike her affluent neighbours, Joanne Mosconi moved to Sunset Mesa to enjoy its beautiful Pacific Ocean views while living in a safe, clean and friendly community.
As the name suggests, the luxury enclave of some 500 homes in Malibu, California, is prized as one of the best neighbourhoods from which to watch the sun disappear into the sea at the end of another picture-perfect day. And until recently, the hottest topic inside the community’s monthly property owners’ meetings was their “ocean view interference” policy, as the residents sought to protect that treasured vista.
But recently, conversations on its spotless streets have taken a dark and disturbing turn. Last month, Joanne Mosconi, an author, was the victim of an armed robbery in her Sunset Mesa home. She had been watched for several days by a gang of organised criminals.
It’s an increasingly familiar story in Los Angeles, with previously sheltered, wealthy neighbourhoods suddenly at the centre of a violent crime wave sweeping the city.
“Two armed men came straight through my bedroom door, shattering the glass,” Mrs Mosconi told The Telegraph.
“I honestly thought it was an earthquake. Then I heard the men’s voices and just knew I had to get the hell out. I picked up my dog and started running out of the opposite side of the house, and ran across the street to a neighbour’s home.
“When they heard the front door slam, the men ran out of the house, too, and saw my neighbour walking his dog on the street, and put a gun to his head. He was due ue to have a baby in two days, and just put his hands up, praying to God they ey didn’t shoot him.”
The neighbour’s s life was spared, but the whole community nity has been shaken.
Residents’ security rity cameras revealed the gang had been watching Mrs Mosconi sconi and her home for five days. . They broke in 90 seconds after r her husband left the property for or the evening, leaving his wife at home alone.
“The detective told old me they like it when the females males are at home, because they ey get to put a gun to your head and make you tell them where the valuables aluables are,” Mrs Mosconi, 43, said.
The case highlights ghts a worrying trend across Los Angeles, ngeles, where police have identified fied at least 17 gangs aggressively y targeting the city’s wealthiest residents. No one has been arrested over the Sunset Mesa incident and a police officer told Mrs Mosconi that if the perpetrators were caught, they’d be released the next morning as no shots were fired. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney (DA), has come under increasing pressure over his record on law and order, with his critics insisting that soft punishments are emboldening criminals. A campaign is underway to offer voters the opportunity to recall the liberal DA in November’s elections. Organisers have gathered 300,000 of the 567,000 signatures needed to give the public the option to remove him from office two years into his four-year term.
Now Mrs Mosconi – the daughter of Pietro Mosconi, the renowned New York chef – is among those taking matters into her own hands. She has set up an emergency residents’ group, Protect Malibu, to fight crime. Previously, she used her substantial social media presence to share tips on how to cook and enjoy Italian food without putting on weight, but now offers advice to her peers on how to defend their community, punctuating her posts w with #recallgascon.
“I’m from New York City originally, an and fell in love with Malibu because it’s su such a safe, beautiful community with a small-town feel,” she said.
“I was married to a Brazilian, and when we went out in Rio de Janeiro, we would make ourselves look like we had no money. But that’s not what we si signed up for living in Los Angeles.
“I used to think the biggest threat h here was having my dog eaten by a co coyote. But these criminals are facing n no consequences under the current D District Attorney.
“These gangs are not afraid to get v violent, not afraid of alarms or ca cameras, and they’re coming through yo your bedroom door with guns.”
The Los Angeles Police Department cr created a special task force in N November to specifically combat the su surge in “follow-home robberies”, so called because gangs scout for targets at luxury boutiques and restaurants, and follow victims home to steal their designer handbags and jewellery. The force has identified more than 220 such robberies since 2021. Thirteen victims have been shot, two of them fatally. In one case this month, a woman was mown down by robbers in a car in LA’s jewellery district so they could steal her watch. Members of the Bloods and Crips gangs were among the culprits caught on CCTV.
Robberies in Los Angeles this year are up nearly 18% compared to the same period last year, while those involving a firearm have surged by 44% this year. Captain Jonathan Tippet, head of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) task force, said last week: “There’s no chance or opportunity for these victims even to comply. They’re just running up to people and attacking them, whether that’s putting a gun in their face or punching them and beating on them.”
Capt Tippet added he was “absolutely frustrated” by the fact suspects were often released on bail to reoffend while awaiting trial.
Michel Moore, chief of LAPD, took the unusual step this month of identifying a suspect, 18-year-old Matthew Adams, who he said had been involved in eight follow-home robberies in a six-month period, during which time he had been arrested and released three times.
He is now in custody after a fourth arrest.
William Briggs, the police commission president, added: “This revolving-door criminal justice system that we have right now clearly is not working.
“We need to find a solution.”