People v. Coombs CA2/8

FACTS

On May 16, 2013, Allison Hughes was robbed as she walked to her car from Iguana Vintage Clothing on Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Both Allison1 and her 20-year-old son, Nicholas, worked there. At 4:30 p.m., they decided to leave the store for their lunch break. On the street, a man commented to Allison, “nice jacket.” She thanked him and continued to the employee parking lot with Nicholas, which was behind the store and down an alley. As she approached her car with her keys in her hand and a clutch-style purse under her arm, she heard Nicholas yell, “Look out.” Allison then “felt like someone was just jumping on to [her] back . . .” He grabbed her purse, pushed her, and ran down the alley. Nicholas chased after him towards Hollywood Boulevard, yelling for people to “stop that guy in the red shirt.” Two other people joined Nicholas in the chase. One of them was able to grab the assailant, who stumbled, dropped the purse, and continued to run. Officer Bryan Nguyen from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was conducting a traffic stop nearby when he heard yelling about a robbery. He noticed a man wearing a red long-sleeved shirt running on Hollywood Boulevard.…