2 Men Hold Up El Rio Market, Pistol-Whip Customer
Two men, one who was armed, robbed a small market in El Rio during the weekend and pistol-whipped a customer before fleeing with an unknown amount of cash, authorities said.
Ventura County sheriff’s deputies were investigating whether the two men were also responsible for two robberies last Tuesday.
In all three crimes, an armed robber fired a shot into the ceiling of a business while demanding money.
The most recent holdup occurred about 8:30 p.m. Friday at Colima Market in the 2700 block of Vineyard Avenue in El Rio, said Sheriff’s Capt. Bill Montijo.
After firing the shot and emptying the register, the gunman pistol-whipped a 56-year-old Oxnard man who had walked into the store while the robbers were leaving, Montijo said.
The robbers fled in a late-model, red Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang. The injured victim, Jose Mendoza, was treated at the scene.
Early Tuesday, a Circle K market in the 3500 block of East Main Street in Ventura was robbed, and later that night in Oxnard the Red Hot Salon in the 1000 block of Patterson Road was held up.
Anyone with information about these crimes can call Sheriff’s Sgt. Will Hammer at 654-2300.
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