LA Dodgers Pitcher Buehler Victim in Stealthy Watch Heist at Race Track

13

Thieves surrounded Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler last month outside a horse racing track in a Los Angeles suburb and discreetly removed an expensive watch from his wrist as he moved through the crowd, police reported on Tuesday. This incident occurred just weeks after another professional athlete in California was also victimized in a bold robbery.

Buehler encountered this theft on September 28 at the Santa Anita Park horse racing track in Arcadia, according to local police. It appears to be part of a series of similar thefts that day, suspected to be the work of organized groups targeting high-end watches in crowded events.


TRUSTED PARTNER ✅ Bitcoin Casino


On the day of the incident, Buehler was attending the inaugural California Crown races at the track, accompanied by his wife, McKenzie, and his teammate, Jack Flaherty. Buehler, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, is known to be an enthusiastic fan of horse racing.

While moving from the paddock area to his seat, Buehler fell prey to what has been described as a “snatch and grab” robbery. The theft left him unaware at the moment it happened, his agency, Excel Sports Management, revealed in a statement.

“We are grateful Walker and McKenzie were not harmed, and Walker remains focused on the playoffs,” the agency added.

The Dodgers chose not to comment, instead directing media inquiries to the Arcadia police.

Out of the three watch theft cases being investigated that day, authorities managed to apprehend a 24-year-old man from Los Angeles in connection with one of them. The value of the stolen watches was reported to be $100,000 for one and $250,000 for the other, but it remains unclear if any of these were Buehler’s.

This incident occurred shortly after Buehler’s last regular-season game and just a week before the Dodgers were set to compete in the National League Divisional Series against the San Diego Padres. Buehler is scheduled to pitch in Game 3 of the series in San Diego.

On August 31, Ricky Pearsall, a rookie for the San Francisco 49ers, was similarly victimized. While walking alone to his car after shopping in San Francisco’s Union Square, Pearsall was held at gunpoint by a teenager who demanded his Rolex watch and other jewelry. A struggle ensued, resulting in gunfire that wounded both Pearsall and the suspect. Pearsall was shot through the chest, but fortunately, the bullet missed vital organs, enabling him to be released from the hospital the following day.

The rise in smash-and-grab thefts, captured in viral videos across cities from Los Angeles to San Francisco, has heightened public concern about crime in California. An upcoming ballot measure will give voters the opportunity to roll back parts of a 2014 law that reclassified many nonviolent thefts from felonies to misdemeanors.