Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Youth Shot in Armed Robbery at Palmdale Store : Crime: Owners of adjacent shops open fire after the holdup. In the hail of bullets, 17-year-old alleged driver of the getaway car is struck in the head.

An armed robbery at a Palmdale liquor store went awry Tuesday after the owner of the store and the owner of the shop next door opened fire, hitting one of three teen-age suspects in the head, authorities said.

The 17-year-old shooting victim was in critical condition at Palmdale Hospital Medical Center with at least one bullet wound to the head, a nursing supervisor said. His identity was not released because of his age.

About three hours after the robbery, the youth’s 16-year-old brother and another 17-year-old were arrested at a nearby house where they had been holding a husband and wife hostage, authorities said.

There were no other injuries.

The incident began about 11:55 a.m., when one of the teen-agers walked into the Midway Market Liquor store on the 38400 block of 35th Street East, looked around and then left, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bobby Denham said.

“Moments later, he returned carrying a rifle and wearing a ski mask,” Denham said.

An accomplice, wearing a Halloween mask, was carrying a handgun, authorities said.

After his store was robbed, the shop owner followed the two teen-agers outside, where they got into a four-door green Jaguar driven by a third youth, Denham said.

The owner, who authorities have not identified, told them to halt, then opened fire, Denham said.

At least one of the youths returned fire, as did the owner of an adjacent card shop who had heard the shooting and come outside, Denham said.

In the hail of bullets, the driver of the getaway car was struck in the head, and two of the teen-agers ran into a nearby house where they held a man and woman hostage while deputies conducted a door-to-door search, Denham said.

“They knocked on a door, threatened the woman who opened it with a gun, and held her and her husband for the next 2 1/2 hours,” Denham said.

The teen-agers surrendered about 2:45 p.m. after deputies reached the house next door to the one in which they were hiding, Denham said.