Full Notification

Armed Take Over Robbery Suspect Arrested
 
Report Number: 22-2997
 
On July 10th, 2022, at approximately 2:18 PM, Culver City Police Officers received a call for service of an armed takeover robbery that just occurred at Boost Mobile, located at 4114 Centinela Avenue.
Officers responded to the location and spoke with the two victims who were Boost Mobile employees.  Officers learned that the suspect, described as a Male, Black, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, blue sweatpants, a white mask, and blue surgical gloves, entered the store and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at both victims.  The suspect then jumped over the counter and forced both employees to lay face down, while he grabbed money from the cash register. The suspect took approximately $500 in US currency and fled the store on foot.

Officers reviewed the video surveillance footage of the robbery and noticed that the suspect had dropped a set of car keys.  Officers conducted an area check and located a possible suspect vehicle, which was parked one block away.  When the officers looked inside the vehicle, they observed the clothing that was worn by the suspect in the rear seat. 

As they continued to search the area, CCPD officers observed a suspicious subject matching the description of the suspect depicted in the surveillance video.  The subject was detained without incident.
A search of the vehicle revealed a driver’s license in the detained subject’s name (Lawrence Bell), a loaded Glock Semi-automatic handgun, and the aforementioned clothing worn by the suspect during the commission of the robbery.  Additionally, the currency stolen during the robbery and other items of evidentiary value were recovered from inside the vehicle.

The suspect, who was identified as Lawrence Bell, a 37-year-old resident of Torrance, was arrested for armed robbery.  It was later found that Mr. Bell is on parole for robbery, and he was wearing an ankle monitor as a condition of his parole at the time of the robbery.
This case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. 
 

If anyone has any additional information related to this incident, please contact Culver City Police Department Public Information Officer Sergeant Brent Arney at 310-253-6313 or the Watch Commander at 310-253-6202.
 
CRIME: Armed Robbery
 
WEAPON: Black handgun
 
PROPERTY TAKEN: Approximately $500 in cash
 
SUSPECT: Lawerence Bell (in custody)