OAK VIEW : Uzi-Armed Gunman Sought in Robberies
Lawmen were searching Friday for an Uzi-armed gunman who robbed two Oak View businesses, locking some of his victims in walk-in refrigerators.
In the latest robbery, about 4:45 p.m. Thursday, the man entered Scotty’s Liquor at 910 N. Ventura Ave. and showed an Uzi automatic weapon to two clerks while demanding money, said Detective Susan Creede of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
The gunman locked the two in the store’s walk-in refrigerator before fleeing, but they soon were able to get out, Creede said. The loss was estimated at about $400.
In a robbery thought to involve the same man, a gunman took $256 from Little Caesar’s Pizza, 11420 N. Ventura Ave., on Monday. In that incident, the gunman handcuffed one teen-age cook to a pipe and locked a second in the freezer, Creede said.
The handcuffs were “like a toy,” however, and the cook soon broke away and freed his colleague, the detective said. Both are 17-year-old Ojai boys.
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.
