Restaurant Employees Held Hostage in Robbery

Two employees of a Boston Market restaurant were briefly taken hostage Saturday night during a robbery, according to police officials. One of the alleged robbers was shot by the police during the incident, officials said.

Notified by an employee who called police around 10 p.m. from the rear of the restaurant during the robbery, officers arrived in time to see three suspects walking with the hostages out of the backdoor.

An employee of a nearby business saw the suspects and hostages walking through the parking lot of the restaurant in the 18300 block of Devonshire Street.

“They were using the employees like human shields,” said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous. “I could just see the employees and one [suspect’s] arm and the gun.”

The witness said he didn’t get a direct look at the suspects.

Officers Henry Acosta and Aquiles Morales yelled at the suspects to drop their guns, but the men ignored the warning and forced the hostages into a late-model, two-door hatchback, police said.

They had trouble fitting. “There were five people trying to get into a small car,” the witness said.

Once the hostages were inside the car, the officers began shooting at the driver. “As soon as they got a clear shot at the driver, the officers opened fire,” said Sgt. John Armour of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The suspects drove several blocks before releasing the hostages unharmed at the intersection of Rinaldi Street and Balboa Avenue, Armour said. The hostages told police that the driver had been wounded.

Later, a man police believe was the driver was dropped off at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds, including at least one shot to the groin. Police were unable to identify the man because he refused to give his name, Armour said.

The suspect, who was booked on suspicion of assault and kidnapping, was taken to the County-USC Medical Center jail ward.

The other two suspects were still at large Sunday night.

A few customers were present during the holdup, but none was injured, according to Boston Market spokesman Patrick Leanow. He said the robbery, during which an undisclosed amount of money was taken, was the first at the location.

Leanow said the company will offer counseling to the two employees taken hostage.

In addition to this robbery, police say there were six additional armed robberies in the San Fernando Valley on Saturday. No one was injured during those incidents.