Israeli Businessman Brutally Robbed of $50,000 Rolex in Los Angeles

By מערכת ice

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

BusinessCharged tone

Hebrew · 2 newsrooms covering

Israeli businessman Ronen Ward was violently robbed of a $50,000 Rolex watch by two armed assailants at his Los Angeles store. Ward was struck with a handgun and hospitalized with head injuries during the daytime attack. Authorities are investigating, and there is no current suspicion of an antisemitic motive. The incident echoes a similar robbery of actor Keegan Allen in West Hollywood.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Israeli businessman Ronen Ward was robbed of a $50,000 Rolex watch in Los Angeles.
Two armed, masked robbers attacked Ward at his store, hitting him with a handgun.
Ward sustained head injuries and was hospitalized following the violent daytime robbery.
The incident is similar to a recent robbery of actor Keegan Allen in West Hollywood.
Authorities are investigating the robbery, with no antisemitic motive suspected at this time.

Israeli Businessman Brutally Robbed of $50,000 Rolex in Los Angeles — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Israeli businessman Ronen Ward, who has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years and is active in the local Jewish community, was violently robbed at his own store. Two masked, armed assailants entered his shop during the day, attacked him in front of customers, and fled with a luxury Rolex watch valued at approximately $50,000. According to a report in the local "Yisrael Shevua" magazine, the suspects entered the store armed with a handgun, pressed it to Ward's head, and struck him with it. Ward reported noticing a suspicious vehicle near his store before the attack, but was unable to react before one of the robbers assaulted him.

Following the attack, Ward sustained head injuries and was hospitalized. Footage from the incident shows him bleeding and receiving medical attention after the robbers escaped with the valuable watch. Authorities have not yet released details on the attackers' identities or any arrests made in connection with the robbery. Despite Ward's involvement in the local Jewish community and his Israeli background, there is currently no suspicion that the attack was motivated by antisemitism or his origin.

The incident is reminiscent of another violent robbery that occurred recently in the Los Angeles area. On October 8, American actor Keegan Allen, known for his role in "Pretty Little Liars," was attacked as he left a food store in West Hollywood. Two men armed with a handgun and a knife approached him, threatened him, and demanded his watch. After hitting him on the head with the handgun, they fled with his Rolex watch. Allen, 37, posted a graphic video showing his bloodied face alongside security camera footage of the robbery. In response, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced increased patrols in the West Hollywood area. However, no information has been released indicating a connection between Allen's attackers and Ward's assailants.

Both incidents highlight how a luxury watch can become a target for violent robbery, even in everyday locations like a store or parking lot. For Ward, who established his life in the U.S. two decades ago, a routine visit to his business ended in hospitalization and the loss of a tens-of-thousands-of-dollars watch. It remains to be seen whether authorities will apprehend those responsible for the attack.