Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives are investigating an armed robbery Saturday, when a man had his backpack, wallet and phone stolen in a Newhall apartment complex parking lot.

Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox.

The robbery happened about 7:40 p.m., when a man removing items from his trunk had his pockets emptied at gunpoint. 

The complex was located at the 23400 block of Newhall Avenue.

“The incident is the eighth report of a robbery this year in Newhall,” said Newhall zone leader Deputy Josh Dubin of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

“The suspect is an unknown 6-foot-tall, 165-pound man in his 20s,” Dubin said, adding that witness reports the man was wearing a black shirt and tan pants and had his hair in a “short afro.”

After threatening the victim and then stealing several items, the robber then fled across Newhall Avenue toward 8th Street.

Robberies, as well as all Part-I crimes, are down throughout Newhall, according to Sheriff’s Department figures.

“Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are using crime analyses and working with the community to try and keep the crime rate as low as possible,” Dubin said.

“We take every report seriously and work closely with our Detective Bureau to further the investigations and arrests of individuals involved in criminal activity,” Dubin said, touting a nearly 12 percent decrease in reported Part-I crimes for the Newhall area.

Through this point in 2012, there were 236 reported part-I crimes in Newhall; 208 have been reported this year. There were nine reports of robberies at this point last year.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call 661-255-1121, or crimes also may be reported anonymously, by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477); texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637); or using the website lacrimestoppers.org.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

[node:title]

Article: [node:title]
Source: Santa Clarita News
Author: [node:author]