You might have heard about the incident earlier this month in Beverly Hills, when an armed robber stole a $500K gold Richard Mille watch from a jeweler dining at an upscale restaurant, Il Pastaio. That robbery took place in the afternoon and the robber ended up discharging his weapon, wounding an innocent bystander. Now similar incidents are happening at South Coast Plaza, here in Orange County.

Two customers were accosted by a couple of armed robbers in ski masks in the parking lot of South Coast Plaza on Saturday, March 27. The robbers took off with their wallets and watches, according to the Costa Mesa Police. As happened in Beverly Hills the brazen robberies took place in broad daylight at about 2 p.m..

Ten minutes later the police got another call regarding an identical robbery in the very same parking lot. In that case two young men in black knit ski masks too valuables from the victims.

The robbers jumped into a maroon colored SUV that had a woman driver and took off before the police could arrive.

No one was injured in the two robbery incidents. The police were not certain as to the value of the stolen items.

Police in Los Angeles have noticed this as a trend involving victims wearing expensive high-end watches who are targeted by armed robbers, particularly in the west side of Los Angeles. There have been more than a half dozen of these armed robberies.

The LAPD has arrested two suspects who are thought to be part of an organized robbery crew but others in the crew are still out there.

One has to wonder if the robbers at the South Coast Plaza are copycats or new robbers, perhaps locals?