Armed robbers make off with cash after targeting 4 taco stands in South Bay overnight

TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) -- Armed robbers made off with thousands of dollars in cash from four taco stands that were targeted in separate incidents overnight Friday in the South Bay, authorities said.

The string of robberies began before midnight and occurred within a 4-mile radius in the Harbor Gateway and West Carson areas, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

At least two men were assaulted in the hold-ups, including one who was taken to a hospital. One victim, wearing a blood-spattered sweatshirt, said he was struck in the back of the head with a handgun.

"The first thing they did was assault my guy on the grill. They beat him up with the guns. They struck his head and parts of his body," said Alma Rivera, taco stand owner.

"There was four of them. They had me on the ground and then one of them went over to the guy working the cash box, used a gun to smack him in the back of the head and took off with the cash," said taco stand worker Luis Mejia Canil. "He was taken to the hospital."

"He pointed the gun at me, he opened the cash register and I told him to take everything, that I don't want any problems," said Yolanda Montes of Yoli's Tacos.

The suspects were described as a group of as many as four men wearing masks. They remained at large after fleeing in a black Kia or Scion with heavily tinted windows and no license plate.

Some taco stands are still counting their losses. The total amount of money stolen was unknown. Some say the loss is in the thousands of dollars.

"This isn't fair. The only thing we do is work honestly. We are street vendors and we work honestly to make our money," said Rivera. " We don't deserve to get robbed and beat up like that."

LAPD believes that three of the robberies are connected. The fourth robbery is being investigated by the sheriff's office.