Gunmen Hold Hostages in Jewelry Store
At least two armed gunmen held several employees of a Palos Verdes Peninsula jewelry store hostage Saturday night after a robbery attempt, authorities said.
A sheriff’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators attempted for several hours to resolve the situation at Morgans Jewelers at Peninsula Center, an outdoor shopping mall in Rolling Hills Estates.
The incident began about 5:20 p.m., not long before closing, according to Sheriff’s Deputy Elisabeth Sachs. The gunmen tried to rob the store, but something went awry. As the suspects were leaving the store, they saw deputies arriving. They turned around and went back in, taking an unknown number of hostages.
Deputies evacuated nearby businesses and later made contact with someone inside the store.
Negotiators worked late into the night to try to end the standoff, while marksmen moved into position at the back of the store. Family members of the hostages gathered near the command post for updates.
Deputies asked television news crews not to show the front of the store so as not to jeopardize negotiations.
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