Greetings Britlings!
We all know from the outside people back home can view LA as the place full of sunshine and cocktails, fun, laughter and this easy-breezy lifestyle. God knows most of our Instagram profiles depict this amazing life. So with this it’s very easy for us to get complacent and drop our protective wits and smarts. Which is why I was saddened to hear of the recent mugging and attack on one of our fellow Brits in LA members Johny Pach, who wrote to me recently to share his horrific ordeal.
“Hey Craig, I’m writing to let you and Brits in LA members know I was involved in a serious mugging on Venice Beach at the weekend. It was around 2pm, I parked my car near the Marina and was walking down the back houses (in) the heart of Venice Beach. There was a lot of families also walking with me down the same road, it was about 2.30pm and just in-front of me appeared three Hispanic men, one had a knife and just as I saw the knife the closest gang member smashed me in the face, I staggered but stayed on my feet and then another gang member kicked me in the mouth and shoved my head into a wall, I was knocked out but came around quickly to see the three running off with my bag. I then stood up, blood everywhere, a family quick on the scene and the neighbours all coming to see if I was ok. A chap came up to me on his bike and said he tried to chase the robbers who then threatened him with a knife. I have to be thankful for the police and ambulance services who arrived at the scene three minutes after it happened. I filed a report, they quickly took me to the hospital where I was stitched up across both lips and underneath and diagnosed with severe concussion. The police thankfully retrieved my bag with all of my goods in it but later news in the week about my front teeth being cracked, means my LA Adventure is over for now as I have to fly back for two veneers. Whilst my visa renewal is being processed I cannot leave the country, so I will now have to get fixed up and wait in the UK until my visa is processed and I am estimating November.”
Now I wish I could tell you this was an isolated incident, but it’s not. I have personally been attacked in broad daylight in Santa Monica. Leaving my old place of work, I was attacked from behind, spun around and taken to the floor, where this 6’4″ guy started to kick and punch the hell out of me but it scarred me. Literally it took me a good year or two to get over the attack. I also hear of a few friends being held up at gunpoint at cash machines. In these situations it’s always best to just give the gunmen want they want, it’s not worth playing a hero.
So I’m not sharing these stories to scare you, but as advice to remember to remain vigilant, because LA isn’t always full of airheads and Valley girls. Criminals exist everywhere, so let’s all be a little bit street smart and make sure this doesn’t happen more frequently…or the very least that we can be a little more prepared.
Cheers
Craig Young
