Hollywood Hills armed home invasion leaves mother, sons and neighborhood shaken

A Hollywood Hills neighborhood is on edge after two men wearing ski masks, armed with a gun, broke into a residence late Sunday evening as a mother and her two sons arrived home.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said the family members arrived home in the 7000 block of Torreyson Drive just before midnight and found the burglars already inside.

The suspects demanded the woman open a safe before physically attacking her; her children ran for help. 

Neighbor Adam Schmidt, who heads the neighborhood homeowners association, said the brazen attack has shaken the community.

"I was sitting in the driveway, and I heard commotion going on," Schmidt said. "They tried to choke her, and they had a gun, and she luckily got away; her kids ran down the street." The woman was not seriously hurt.

Police say the suspects tried to steal a shotgun that was left outside lying on the ground.

There's visible damage at the gate where the suspects jumped over to flee into a grey sedan before officers arrived. Police have not said if the suspects actually got away with anything from inside the home.

For neighbors like Kendra Kline, it's a frightening reminder to stay vigilant. "I make sure everything is locked up for sure, and I have extra security bars," she said, noting she added high-resolution security cameras around her property.

Schmidt also said he is adding new high-tech security cameras. "They have AI you can search for that is high resolution … and capture license plates for occasions like this," he said.

While the latest Hollywood Division crime stats show burglaries are down compared to this time last year, neighbors are determined to make sure the next time someone comes through, they're caught on camera.