Two Men Believed Responsible for 28 Holdups of Fast-Food Restaurants

Police are looking for two men believed responsible for 28 robberies at Southland fast-food restaurants over the last four months, including three in one night this week in north Orange County.

Twelve of the holdups have taken place in the adjoining Orange County cities of Buena Park and Cypress, with most of the remainder in such southeast Los Angeles County cities as La Mirada, Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk and Bellflower.

Although no injuries have been reported in any of the holdups, the gunmen have fired their weapons into the ground on two occasions, said Buena Park Police Sgt. Terry Branum.

“These guys are armed and dangerous,” Branum said. “Somebody could get hurt.”

The three latest robberies took place within 20 minutes of one another Wednesday night at a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in Buena Park and two Del Taco restaurants in neighboring Cypress. Several hundred dollars were taken each time.

Following their pattern in previous robberies, Branum said, the gunmen entered the establishments between 8 and 9 p.m. while only a few customers and employees were present and ordered everyone to the floor. Then they jumped behind the counter and emptied the safes and cash registers, he said.