Off-Duty Officer Foils Jewelry Store Robbery

An off-duty Los Angeles police officer thwarted a robbery by three crowbar-wielding bandits at a jewelry store in Valencia on Thursday evening, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies said.

Officer Ralph Huerta was shopping at Zales Jewelers in the 25000 block of McBean Parkway when three people wearing ski masks and gloves and carrying crowbars entered the store, Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Jenkins said.

The would-be robbers “began breaking glass display cases with the crowbars and yelling at the customers. An off-duty officer who was shopping . . . drew his weapon, identified himself as a police officer and ordered them to freeze,” Jenkins said.

“The three ran out the store without taking anything.”

Huerta chased the men to a waiting car, where one of them pulled out what the officer thought was a weapon, Jenkins said. The officer fired one shot before the bandits escaped. A handgun was later found where the car had been parked.

The car had been stolen minutes before the attempted robbery and was found abandoned about 1 1/2 miles from the store, Jenkins said.