Guard, Suspect Shot During Brinks Truck Holdup Attempt
Using a wheelchair as a decoy, two men unsuccessfully tried to rob a Brinks armored truck Thursday morning in Sylmar, leaving a guard and one suspect seriously injured after a wild shootout in front of a Bank of America.
Police believe that the two men may be the same ones who shot and killed a Brinks guard during a robbery in Winnetka in June.
Witnesses said the incident began about 10:45 a.m. as the Brinks truck pulled up to the bank at Foothill Boulevard and Astoria Street. Waiting were two men, one in the wheelchair, the other pushing him.
As the guard walked toward the bank entrance, the man in the wheelchair demanded money and he and the guard exchanged gunfire, hitting each other in the torso, according to police. The suspect also was shot once in the face.
The other suspect escaped on foot.
The wounded men were taken to Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills. The guard was listed in fair but guarded condition and the suspect was in critical condition. Their names were not released.
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