Pretty Little Liars star Keegan Allen was left bloodied after being robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint outside a grocery store in West Hollywood. The 37-year-old actor, known for playing Toby Cavanaugh in the Freeform drama, filmed the immediate aftermath of the attack, with blood pouring down his face.
In the footage, Allen says, “I was just robbed of my watch outside of Laurel Supply,” before asking someone off-camera to call the police. CCTV clips show two masked men trapping him against his car door, pointing a gun and a knife at him. After Allen takes off his watch and holds up his hands, one of the men hits him over the head twice and punches him in the face before fleeing, leaving the actor on the ground.
Attack captured on CCTV
Allen, visibly shaken, showed his injuries, with blood covering his neck and arms, adding, “Took my watch, though. Dammit.” In an Instagram caption to his 8.2 million followers, he wrote: “West Hollywood is not safe anymore. Robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint by two young men that threatened to KILL me over my watch and would have! God said no tonight. My life for a watch.”
He tagged Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, concluding: “Let’s hope all these flock cameras that @karenbassla @gavinnewsom and everyone thinks will stop crime can find these very dangerous criminals. God bless.” There are an estimated 120,000 Flock surveillance cameras across the US, but more than 100 cities have rejected them over privacy and safety concerns.
Police confirm robbery report
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed officers responded to a robbery call at around 9.05pm on the 8400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. The report matched Allen’s account of two masked men in black clothing threatening him with weapons and demanding his watch and bracelet. “The suspects obtained the victim’s watch and fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. The victim sustained a laceration to his forehead,” a police statement said.
Allen was medically assessed by the Los Angeles County Fire Department at the scene but was not taken to hospital, though he later confirmed he sought treatment, replying to a comment: “I’m def confussed and at hospital.” Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information.
Support from fans and PLL background
Fans flooded Allen with support, with one writing, “Hey, forget your watch, it can be replaced, you can’t! Glad you’re OK.” Allen replied: “The watch is a bummer but having a gun and knife in my face and then brutally hit across the face and head was so unnecessary.” When asked why the attackers hit him after he gave them the watch, he explained, “he was asking me to take off a bracelet I had, I was trying to tell him it’s not easy to take off and said ‘you can take it off’ and he pistol whipped me.”
Allen, also a musician and photographer, made his television debut in Pretty Little Liars, playing Toby Cavanaugh, the love interest of Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario). Created by Marlene King and based on Sara Shepard’s books, the show ran from 2010 to 2017 and spawned several spin-offs.
