Santa Ana cafe robbed, employee pistol-whipped

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two masked men who robbed a restaurant at gunpoint shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday were recorded on surveillance camera. Police are investigating whether the robbery is connected to a home-invasion robbery in Garden Grove days earlier.

Surveillance video shows the suspects pistol-whipped an employee and tied up patrons with zip-ties before taking cash from a register at Cafe La Me at 5407 West 1st Street Sunday morning.

The suspects escaped eastbound in a dark-green or gray Toyota Sienna minivan about 10 years old. The van was missing hubcaps and a front license plate.

The first suspect was described as a male of unknown race, 30-40 years old, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall with a thin build. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a gray bandana over his face, black/gray gloves, blue jeans, and blue and white sneakers. He brandished a semiautomatic handgun, pistol-whipped an employee and took cash from the register.

The second suspect was described as a male of unknown race, standing 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall with a stocky build, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a white liner, a blue bandana over his face, white gloves, a gray shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes. He was the driver and zip-tied the victims.

In a home-invasion robbery in Garden Grove last Friday, four suspects shot and wounded a young mother of twins and tied up two other people with zip-ties.

Those suspects got away in a white SUV.

Anyone with information on either crime can report information anonymously to Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS.