Eatery Robbed Twice During 24-Hour Period

A Ventura pizzeria was robbed Thursday afternoon by a lone gunman, less than 24 hours after three armed men had held up the restaurant’s staff the previous evening, police said.

After both incidents, the manager of Hungry Howie’s Pizza and Subs, 1504 E. Thompson Blvd., called police to alert them to the crime, said Sgt. Bob Velez.

“She should request combat pay or something,” he said of the manager. “This is unusual.”

The latest robbery occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. when a man with a mustache and a shaved head, wearing a bloodstained striped shirt and carrying a black handgun, stole money from the till before running out the door.

About 8:20 p.m. on Wednesday, a trio of men toting two handguns and a shotgun ordered the eatery’s workers to lie on the floor and then stole money from their pockets. The three also grabbed money from the cash register before fleeing.

The pizzeria is still trying to determine how much money was taken in the two heists, Velez said.

The two incidents are believed to be unrelated.