2 Gunmen Sought in Takeover Robbery

Two masked gunmen tied up several employees and stole $4,000 in cash during an early morning takeover robbery at Office Depot, police said.

The heist occurred about 4 a.m. in the 1900 block of Ventura Road, just after three employees and a manager had arrived at work, said Oxnard Police Sgt. Marty Meyer.

The robbers followed the employees in a back door, ordered them to the floor at gunpoint and used duct tape to bind their hands behind their backs, authorities said.

The robbers then forced the manager to open the safe before fleeing. No one was injured, and the victims did not see any vehicles leaving the scene, Meyer said.

He said the circumstances hinted at the possibility the robbers were former employees or know workers at the business who told them the safe’s location. “I would think an inside job is always a consideration,” he said.

Authorities believe the robbers fled to a waiting vehicle and may have left on the nearby Ventura Freeway. During the robbery, one gunman was wearing what police described as a “scary movie mask,” and the other had his face covered with a blue bandanna. Both men wore dark clothes.

Detectives plan to investigate whether the same men are responsible for a similar takeover-style holdup at another nearby office supply store in April 1999, Meyer said.