Armed Robberies in East Pasadena Leave Residents on Edge

A pair of armed robberies in Pasadena has left residents unsettled as police investigate a possible connection between two incidents that occurred Wednesday.

In the first robbery, a man using an ATM on East Foothill Boulevard fell victim to armed assailants at approximately 10:20 a.m. A separate incident took place outside a Trader Joe’s on North Rosemead Boulevard, where a 73-year-old woman was targeted around 4:30 p.m. 

In the morning robbery, a 54-year-old Pasadena man was depositing cash at an ATM when two suspects approached him. One demanded money and the victim’s wallet while the other pointed a handgun at him.

Bundy reported that the suspects took the victim’s wallet and car keys before fleeing to a waiting vehicle with a third suspect inside. The vehicle was last seen driving west on Foothill Boulevard.

The victim in the ATM robbery was unharmed. The total loss was approximately $175, along with the victim’s wallet and car keys.

Police described all three suspects in the ATM robbery as Black men wearing dark clothing and ski masks. The getaway vehicle was reportedly a light-colored newer model sedan, though police are still working to confirm this detail.

In the second, an elderly local woman was accosted in a parking lot after exiting her vehicle. According to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Tim Bundy, the suspect demanded her purse and brandished a gun when she hesitated.

“The victim tried to hold onto her purse, but the suspect forcibly pulled it from her hands,” Bundy said.

The robber then fled in a vehicle driven by an accomplice, heading south on Rosemead Boulevard. The victim was uninjured, but her purse containing about $280 was stolen.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about these incidents to contact the Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).