Local News in Brief : Quick-Thinking Dad Thwarts Robbers

Two armed robbers were shot by Pasadena police officers responding to a call from a quick-thinking father who dialed “911,” then left his phone off the hook, enabling a police operator to overhear the robbery in progress, authorities said Thursday.

Nicholas R. Barbela, 21, of Pomona and Carlos Gurule, 36, of El Monte were shot Wednesday night as they fled the man’s house, Sgt. Monte Yancey said. They were listed in satisfactory condition Thursday at County-USC Medical Center.

The two men knocked on the door of the southeast Pasadena house about 10:30 p.m., then forced their way past two boys, ages 14 and 17, Yancey said. The boys’ father, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion, immediately called police, then put the receiver on the floor when he heard the men coming. The father was not identified.

A police operator listened to the men as a police helicopter and patrol cars were dispatched, Yancey said. When the two men fled, apparently after hearing the helicopter overhead, officers arriving in patrol cars shot one of them in the arm and the other in the buttocks, Yancey said.