Man Crashes Through Ceiling, Robs Workers at Supermarket
A masked gunman crashed through the ceiling of a Northridge supermarket and robbed stunned employees of $25,000, police said Sunday.
No arrests have been made in the robbery at the Ralphs Grocery Co. store at Devonshire Street and Reseda Boulevard on Saturday morning, police said.
Two employees were working in a locked upstairs accounting office when they heard a noise above them, Los Angeles Police Sgt. David Johnson said.
“Suddenly the ceiling caved in,” Johnson said. “Landing on his feet with a ski mask was the suspect with a six-inch revolver.”
The gunman ordered the employees to get down on the floor and handcuffed them before scooping up the money.
“They heard him put it in a bag and throw it up into the hole he came from,” Johnson said. “He got up on some furniture and up into the hole and was gone.”
No one was injured in the robbery, Johnson said. The robber may have posed as a construction worker to enter the crawl space at the store, which is undergoing construction, Johnson said.
Ralphs officials refused to comment on the incident.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
