By love-89.com In Monterey Park, a Chinese community in Los Angeles County, a Chinese woman was robbed by three armed assailants as she stepped out of her home. What added to her frustration was that after the police apprehended the suspects, they were released on the spot with the reasoning that the arrest was ineffective and wouldn’t lead to prosecution. This left the victim in disbelief as she watched the robbers walk free.
Attorney Dong Hong shared this incident recently, choosing not to disclose the victim’s full name for privacy reasons, only identifying her as Ms. Xu, who is the sister of a close friend. Ms. Xu has lived in Monterey Park for many years. One morning while driving out, she was confronted by three Black robbers who stopped her car outside her home, threatening her with firearms. They forcibly took her handbag, phone, keys, and other personal belongings.
A neighbor, a retired police officer, witnessed the robbery unfold and quickly grabbed his gun, ordering the assailants to the ground while simultaneously calling the police. Dong Hong noted that officers arrived promptly, restrained the three suspects, and recovered the stolen items, returning them to Ms. Xu. However, shortly afterward, the police uncuffed the robbers and released them on the scene.
The retired officer voiced his disbelief at their release. The police responded that since the stolen property had been returned and the victim had not been physically harmed, there was no basis for holding them. The retired officer argued that armed robbery is a serious crime that should not result in immediate release. Law enforcement maintained that even if these suspects were arrested, they would not face charges.
Watching the suspects walk away, Ms. Xu felt indignation and sought legal help in hopes of having the trio prosecuted. Through his investigation, Dong Hong discovered a key aspect of the police’s decision to release the suspects: all three were minors, under the age of eighteen. Despite this revelation, Dong Hong expressed his anger over the police’s handling of the situation, arguing that California’s law enforcement environment has been disappointing in recent years. He pointed out that rampant crime has seemingly gone unpunished, especially concerning leniency towards juvenile offenders. “Cases involving minors are typically not prosecuted, and authorities have been closing juvenile detention facilities in large numbers. Even hate crimes are no longer subject to harsher penalties,” he stated.