Gunman, 24, Dies During Robbery at Restaurant
A 24-year-old Elysian Valley man who shot the manager of a popular Silver Lake restaurant during a robbery Tuesday night died as restaurant employees tried to subdue him, authorities said. Police said the robber died of unexplained causes.
Louis Abalos entered Casita Del Campo restaurant, 1920 Hyperion Ave., at 11:30 p.m., pointed a semiautomatic handgun at the manager and demanded money, said Los Angeles Police Detective Roy Gobel of the Northeast Division.
As Abalos removed money from the cash register, the manager, whose name was not released, grabbed the gun, Gobel said. In the struggle, Abalos fired two shots, one of which hit the manager’s left hand, the detective said.
Four employees helped subdue Abalos, who was 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed about 260 pounds, Gobel said.
When police arrived about 20 minutes later, Abalos was dead. Gobel said there were no obvious signs of cause of death, such as a blow to the head or marks around the neck.
The manager was treated at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital and released.
An autopsy will be performed on Abalos, police said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
