Brink’s Guard Kills Holdup Man; 2nd Flees
A Brink’s armored car guard shot and killed a holdup man in a shoot-out inside an electronics store in Koreatown late Friday afternoon, but a second suspect grabbed a money bag and fled into a street bustling with holiday shoppers, police said.
It was not immediately known how much money was in the bag, picked up at ITC Electronics Supermarket, according to police, but the escaping holdup man may have also paid a price for the robbery. Blood was found on the sidewalk outside the store.
“He ran with the bag down Olympic Boulevard,” said Lt. Bob Ruchhoft. “We believe he was shot.”
The guard, whose identity was not released, was also wounded in the holdup. He was later reported in good condition at Good Samaritan Hospital with a leg wound.
Police also declined to release the identity of a second guard, who stayed at the wheel of the armored truck. Officials said he was following Brink’s policy by remaining in the vehicle.
According to Ruchhoft, the Brink’s guard made the cash pickup and was descending from a second-floor office when the two robbers met him, at least one pointing a .44-caliber revolver that police recovered at the scene.
In the ensuing gunfire, Ruchhoft said one of the holdup men was hit at least once in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his identity.
The other man grabbed the bag containing cash and credit card receipts and fled, Ruchhoft said.
An employee who asked not to be identified said that as the second robber ran past him near the front of the store, “He had a smile on his face.” He was described as about 25 to 30 years old, of average height and wearing a brown suede jacket.
The wounded guard limped outside to the armored car. Police said it was not clear whether the robbers wounded the guard or he may have accidentally shot himself.
Ruchhoft said that Friday’s holdup--which occurred about half an hour before the store’s 6 p.m. closing--did not appear to be linked to recent armored car robberies in the Los Angeles area. There have been six holdups of armored cars in Los Angeles this year, he said, compared with a dozen last year.
Times staff writer John Lee contributed to this story.
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