Los Angeles: Los Angeles detectives arrested a 17-year-old man from South Los Angeles after he was identified in surveillance footage as the suspect wielding the hammer to smash a jewelry case and steal gold chains, along with at least three other accomplices. “We want to put an end to this spree of smash & grabs,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, commanding officer of the Central Detective Division. “We’ve had six similar robberies along Broadway, downtown, since June 21, 2011.” According to detectives, none of the six robberies are the same suspects, but they all appear to be crews of robbers from South Los Angeles gangs. “We saw a similar pattern this time last year,” Lt. Vernon said. “We made a number of arrests then and the activity stopped.” Detectives have arrested the suspect seen wielding the hammer in the video at the Guadalajara Jewelry Plaza robbery on July 12, 2011. Witnesses wrote down the license plate of a black BMW. Detectives later found it and arrested the 17-year-old inside. They also found a cloth bag containing hammers in the car. The subject’s parents identified him in the video as the suspect with the hammer. According to detectives and crime analysts, the smash & grab robberies are region-wide. “With the price of gold now at $1600 an ounce, gang members have seen the benefit in taking the risk,” Lt. Vernon explained. “We’ve been in contact with a half dozen other agencies from Riverside to Ventura counties that have experienced similar robberies by the same …