Beverly Center robbery: Person robbed of watch at gunpoint

LOS ANGELES - A suspect was arrested after robbing someone at gunpoint in broad daylight in front of the Beverly Center Thursday afternoon.

LAPD officers responded to the area of La Cienega Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. for reports of a robbery.

The victim was trying to get in a friend’s car when they were robbed of their watch.

Torin Martinez told FOX 11 that he witnessed the entire armed robbery and called 911.

"I started going up the escalator and I turn around and he is behind me running towards me. The guy with the gun is running up the escalator towards me and into the Beverly Center... maybe he saw that I was a witness to this," Martinez said.

"I saw there was a bunch of woman and kids so I’m yelling gun, turn around and people are coming down and I’m trying to get people to turn around and go up," he added.

The suspet ran into a parking structure but was quickly taken into custody.

Initially, people near the scene thought the incident was an active shooting at the mall, however that is not true.

Robberies have been increasing throughout Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. In March, a man was robbed of his $13,000 Rolex in Culver City. In February, a man was attacked and nearly robbed over a watch in Beverly Hills.

The Beverly Center, which borders West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, hosts several high-end retail stores including Burberry, Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Versace.