Woman wielding gun and machete at Kardashians’ WeHo boutique is arrested, officials say
A woman who authorities say barged into the Kardashians’ clothing boutique in West Hollywood on Thursday, pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the sales staff before she returned later with a machete has been arrested.
About 11:30 a.m., the woman entered Dash, pointed a handgun at an employee and shouted, “Stay away from Cuba,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. She then knocked items off a counter and pointed the gun at a second employee, mumbling incoherently before she left.
Deputies, with the help of a police helicopter, conducted a “thorough search” to locate the woman, described as about 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, with blond hair and a bandanna tied around her forehead. They couldn’t find her.
About two hours after her first visit, the woman returned to the shop wielding a 14-inch machete, authorities said. She paced back and forth outside the exclusive Melrose Avenue store, shouting and waving the machete.
Photographers covering the gun incident captured images. She then wedged the machete into the front doorway and left, walking west on Melrose Avenue toward La Cienega Boulevard.
A second search was conducted, but again, the woman wasn’t found. Investigators examined security video of the incidents and identified the woman as Maricia Medrano, 35.
She was arrested about 9 p.m. at her home, officials said. Investigators there found two airsoft guns similar to the one used earlier in the day in West Hollywood, officials said.
Medrano was booked on suspicion of assault and making criminal threats and was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
This isn’t the first time someone has targeted the Kardashian business.
Last year, a passerby called 911 and reported seeing a man throw a “lit object” through the store’s front-door window.
The attack broke the door’s glass but didn’t cause any significant damage inside. When deputies arrived to investigate, they found the “heavy object” smoldering inside the store, but nothing else had been burned.
Twitter: @AleneTchek
Twitter: @lacrimes
UPDATES:
Sept. 22, 7:10 a.m.: This article was updated with the suspect’s arrest.
6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more information from sheriff’s officials.
4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information from authorities.
This article was originally published on Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m.
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