Local News in Brief : Shots Fired as Guard Foils Bank Burglary

Burglars who used a cutting torch Tuesday to break into a Northridge bank vault fled empty-handed when they were interrupted by the bank’s security guard, police said.

The intruders broke in through the back door of the Investment Savings Bank in the 8300 block of Reseda Boulevard about 2:55 a.m. after disabling the bank’s alarm system, said Lt. Howard Hughie, head of the Los Angeles Police Department’s burglary and theft division.

The burglars had raided safe deposit boxes and stacked jewelry, coins, money and other items on the floor, according to police.

The security guard, who was alerted by a silent alarm triggered when the vault opened, ran toward the vault, saw one of the burglars and yelled for him to stop, Hughie said. The suspect fired one shot at the guard, who fired back, but the man escaped, Hughie said.

Hughie said it appeared there were at least two burglars.