Starbucks Robbed by Masked Gunman

A gunman wearing a stocking mask robbed a coffee shop in Woodland Hills early Friday morning after forcing an employee to open a safe, police said.

Two employees at Starbucks, 5422 Topanga Canyon Blvd., were setting up chairs and tables outside the shop at about 5:10 a.m. when the suspect forced them inside at gunpoint, said Los Angeles Police Det. Robert Johansen of the West Valley station.

Once inside, the man, who was armed with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun, told the employees to lie face down on the floor while a third worker opened the safe, Johansen said.

The suspect carried a nylon bag, which he had the employee fill with an undetermined amount of money, Johansen said. He left in a late-model, dark Nissan pickup truck, police said. There were no injuries.

“There is a strong chance he could be an ex-employee,” Johansen said, since the robber knew how the coffee shop operates.

Police are looking for a white man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall and 160 pounds.

The incident represents the second Starbucks robbery in the San Fernando Valley in two months.

On Feb. 12, the shop at 6516 Platt Ave. in West Hills was robbed by a gunman who wore a scarf and hooded sweatshirt to conceal his identity.