Glendale Store Owner Hurt, Suspect Killed in Robbery Try

A robbery attempt at a stereo store was cut short Saturday when the owner opened fire on one of the suspects, whose dead body was found minutes later after his fleeing partner dumped him in front of a Glendale hospital, police said.

The holdup at Crystal Sonics, a car stereo warehouse in the 1600 block of S. Central Avenue, began about 4:15 p.m. when two men forced the store’s employees into a restroom at the rear of the store, said Sgt. Rick Young of the Glendale Police Department. One of the robbers was armed with a handgun.

Young said the robbers escorted the owner to his office and demanded cash. They tied his hands loosely with speaker wire and left him alone briefly--giving the owner enough time to grab his gun.

When the robbers returned, Young said, the owner fired more than 10 shots at the gunman. The robber returned fire, striking the owner once in the thigh.

“There was lots of blood at the scene,” Young said, adding he did not know how many times the robber was hit. “He was assisted out of the warehouse by his partner in crime.”

The men stole a customer’s red Honda, Young said. About five minutes later, police were called to Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, about two blocks from the robbery scene. Witnesses said a body was pushed out of a car, tumbling onto the street.

Young said authorities had not identified either suspect Saturday night. He declined to release the name of the store’s owner.

Police are searching for the second suspect, described as a black man in his 20s wearing gray and black sweatpants. The Honda’s license plate reads 3XUW802, Young said.