Gunmen Hijack Armored Truck

Two armed bandits hijacked an armored truck near Universal Studios early Wednesday and drove it to a nearby residential area before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash, authorities said.

A Wells Fargo guard was stopped by a man armed with a semiautomatic handgun about 6:15 a.m. when the guard returned to the truck after making a delivery to an automated teller machine near the entrance to the Universal Studios Tour, 1000 Universal Plaza, Los Angeles Police Lt. Ken Lady said.

The men struggled briefly before a second gunman appeared and ordered the guard into the truck, Lady said. The robbers drove the truck to a residential area, removed the cash and fled south on the Hollywood Freeway in a silver compact car--possibly a mid- to late ‘80s Nissan.

One of the robbers was described as 6-foot-1 and about 200 pounds, and was wearing a black hooded jacket. The second man, who was wearing a tan and silver jacket, was described as 5-foot-11 and about 140 pounds, Lady said. Both are black.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the robbery to contact authorities at (213) 485-0780 or (213) 485-2504.