Last month, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler found himself surrounded by thieves outside a horse racing track in a Los Angeles suburb. As he moved through a dense crowd, the thieves managed to slip an expensive watch off his wrist without him realizing it, police said Tuesday. This incident followed a similar mugging involving another professional athlete in California.
The theft occurred on September 28 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia while Buehler, accompanied by his wife McKenzie and teammate Jack Flaherty, attended the inaugural California Crown races. Buehler, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, is known for his passion for horse racing. According to police, Buehler wasn’t threatened during the theft, and investigations revealed it to be part of a series of coordinated robberies that day, targeting high-end watches in large crowds.
While navigating the crowd from the paddock to his seat, Buehler’s valuable timepiece was discreetly taken in a “snatch and grab” robbery, his agency, Excel Sports Management, disclosed in a statement. The agency expressed relief that neither Buehler nor his wife were harmed and added that Buehler’s focus remains on the playoffs.
The Dodgers refrained from making any comments, instead directing media inquiries to the Arcadia police. Among the three incidents of stolen watches under investigation, police have apprehended a 24-year-old Los Angeles man. The stolen watches are valued at $100,000 and $250,000, but officials did not specify which one belonged to Buehler.
The incident took place shortly after Buehler’s final regular-season game and just a week before the Dodgers commenced the National League Divisional Series against the San Diego Padres. Buehler is expected to start Game 3 of the series on Tuesday night in San Diego.
In a related incident on August 31, San Francisco 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall was robbed at gunpoint by a teenager after shopping at luxury stores in San Francisco’s Union Square. The teen stole Pearsall’s Rolex watch along with other expensive jewelry. A struggle ensued, leading to gunfire. Pearsall was shot in the chest, while the suspect sustained an arm injury. Pearsall’s mother later confirmed on social media that the bullet narrowly missed vital organs, and he was discharged from the hospital the following day.
Videos of smash-and-grab thefts have gone viral, capturing incidents from Los Angeles to San Francisco and intensifying public concern about crime in California. Voters will soon decide on a ballot measure that proposes to rescind parts of a 2014 law, which reduced many nonviolent thefts from felonies to misdemeanors.