4 Gunmen Rob, Handcuff 14 in Recording Studio
Four gunmen entered a Costa Mesa recording studio, handcuffed 14 employees and their guests, and left with more than $100,000 in sound equipment, police and one of the victims said Saturday.
The robbers spent nearly two hours Friday night taking wallets, rings and the sophisticated recording equipment, police said. When they left Front Page Productions in the 200 block of Avocado Street, the robbers reminded the victims that they had their drivers’ licenses and addresses, a victim said.
However, “it was very evident they didn’t want to hurt anyone,” said the victim, who did not want to be identified.
Police Sgt. Matt Collett said the robbery took place about 10:30 p.m. when the four men, wearing ski masks, entered the studio and ordered everyone to lie on the floor and then handcuffed them. The robbers didn’t have enough handcuffs and cuffed some people together.
The robbers took wallets and jewelry, and then moved much of the studio’s sound and recording equipment into a large truck, Collett said.
When the four had left, one of the studio employees called police, who freed the victims at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
No one was injured.
The robbers seemed professional and knew exactly what equipment they wanted, the victim who spoke to reporters said.
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