Customer, worker try to fight off suspects during late night robbery at Mid-City restaurant
"Everybody knows this place," said one of the owners. "It's kind of disheartening to hear that we would get targeted."
MID-CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Dramatic video captured the moment a customer and an employee of a Mid-City restaurant jumped into action to try to stop a pair of aggressive thieves - but the suspects still got away.
It happened around midnight on Monday at Lucy's Drive-In on La Brea Avenue.
Surveillance footage shows two suspects walking into the restaurant to order food. Seconds later, one of the suspects suddenly hops under the counter's Plexiglass and slides through a small opening. He then slides out with the restaurant's cash register.
The video then shows a customer leaping out of his chair and jumping into action, immediately grabbing one of the suspects from behind. He then tries to punch the suspect, but falls to the ground. That's when an employee steps in, joining in on the fight.
At that moment, the suspect hands off the cash register to the second suspect before ultimately taking off.
Gabriel Perez, one of the restaurant's owners who did not wish to show his face on camera, told Eyewitness News the incident came as a complete surprise.
"We've been open since 1969 and we've never experienced anything like this before," said Perez. "As they're going outside, the other one that was outside waiting for them shows the gun and that's when my employees backed off."
Video also captured one of the suspects outside of the restaurant where you can see one of them lifting up his sweatshirt. Perez said there was a gun tucked in his waistband.
"I was kind of shocked that something like that would happen to a small business like that, especially having a police station right down the street," said Andy Ibarra, a Lucy's Drive-In customer. "I honestly couldn't believe it."
The owners of the restaurant have since filed a police report and decided not to close Monday night following the incident. They said they wanted to continue being a resource for the community at all hours of the night.
Perez's father immigrated from Mexico and began working at the restaurant as a dishwasher in the '70s. With hard work and dedication, he ended up buying the restaurant in the 90s.
"Everybody knows this place," said Perez. "It's kind of disheartening to hear that we would get targeted."
Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.
