3 Sought in Brinks Guard’s Killing

Police searched Tuesday for three men involved in the shooting death of a 51-year-old Brinks guard as he delivered money to a cash machine in a crowded San Fernando Valley supermarket.

Ignacio David Delgado of Canoga Park was killed about 6:15 p.m. Monday in a Bank of America vault area in an Albertson’s supermarket in Valley Glen. His partner, Michael Kotnik, 34, of Sun Valley escaped serious injury when the robbers fired semiautomatic assault weapons at him as he ran from the store.

Kotnik was probably injured by shrapnel, his mother, Anna Kotnik, said Tuesday. He was treated at Providence-Holy Cross Medical Center and released.

Two gunmen escaped with an undisclosed amount of money in a white Chevrolet van driven by a third person. All remained at large Tuesday. The van, which had been stolen Monday from a Northridge home, was found a few blocks from the shopping center Tuesday morning.

Neighbors mourned Delgado, calling him a gentle man who knew the hazards of his job.

“I feel bad for him because they killed him over some stupid money,” neighbor Jeffrey Colaco, 18, said. “He told me how dangerous the job was. . . . He told me not to get a dangerous job like that.”

At the shopping center, many expressed outrage and sadness.

“What a shame,” said Benny Sepulveda, a security guard posted at a California Federal Bank branch across the parking lot. “I’ve been working here 10 years, and we’ve never been robbed, and I don’t have a gun. I don’t like to have a weapon. I think it’s more dangerous.”

Workers in nearby stores said the Brinks truck made its Albertson’s stop about 6 p.m. every day, making it an easy target.

“They always come at the same time,” said Jacklin Younani, who works at both the Sav-On Drugs and the Cal Fed branch at Victory Plaza. “It’s not safe. I’m sure those guys knew when they were coming.”

Marven Moss, director of corporate projects at Brinks headquarters in Connecticut, said, “We have the matter under investigation at this time.” He declined further comment.

Witnesses described a scene of rapid gunfire and confusion.

Francisco Gonzalez, who was repairing a rooftop air conditioner about 100 feet from the store, said he “heard about 10 shots, really fast, at least two guns.”

Seconds later, he saw two men sprint from the market, one heading west toward a gym, the other south toward Victory Boulevard.

Gonzalez said one man was about 6 feet tall, slim, and had long black hair. The other was “kind of heavy,” between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10, weighing 200 to 220 pounds, he said.

Police did not release descriptions of the suspects.

Albert Campos, one of the two shopping center security guards on duty Monday night, said he heard a quick popping at the Albertson’s and saw people running out.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “Somebody screamed at me and said, ‘Officer, can you call 911? Albertson’s is being robbed.’ ”

The injured Kotnik called his family from the scene to tell them he was OK.

“We couldn’t understand what he was saying, except that he was bleeding,” his father, John Kotnik, said.

Kotnik and Delgado had worked for Brinks for about four years.

Miguel Lopez, 19, said Delgado “was very nice and very quiet. I’m so sad. When I go back to that Albertson’s, I’ll always remember him.”

Bank of America, Brinks and Albertson’s offered a $110,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects, bank spokeswoman Ashleigh Adams said. Confidential calls can be made to the WeTip hotline at (800) 78CRIME.

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Times staff writers Andrew Blankstein, Thuy-Doan Le and Jean Guccione contributed to this story.