Robbery Attempt in Target Parking Lot

Three suspects were taken into custody by police late Thursday night after an attempted "strong arm robbery" in the parking lot of at 1200 North Sepulveda Boulevard, said Manhattan Bech Police Sergeant Paul Ford Friday.

One male and one female were "caught immediately"; another male was found within a couple of hours, maybe sooner, in the 1200 block of Oak Avenue in a resident's back yard, he said. A K9 unit from El Segundo located the suspect.

A helicopter from the Hawthorne Police Department flew overhead and officers from Hermosa Beach, Gardena, Hawthorne and El Segundo assisted in the search.

The call was received at 8:48 p.m., said Sgt. Ford. The areas from Manhattan Beach Boulevard to 14th Street on Oak and Elm avenues were closed down so police could search for the missing suspect.

Though there was never mention of a weapon being used in the robbery attempt, police "always assume" that suspects may have a weapon as they look for their suspect(s), he noted. In this case, intimidation was used.

A "strong arm robbery" takes place when a suspect attempts a robbery without the use of weapons, but uses "bodily force or intimidation," according to Ford.

The allegedly stolen materials were recovered by police.