Robbery Occurs at Grinder Restaurant in Harbor Area

December 14, 1998

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, December 14, 1998
On December 13, 1998 at approximately 10:30 p.m., three armed suspects committed a take-over robbery of the Grinder Restaurant at 13011 West Sepulveda Boulevard in the Harbor Gateway.

The suspects were especially brutal in robbing both employees and patrons in the restaurant at the time. The suspects struck the victims with their handguns and in one case slit the throat of the cook before they left. One female patron was also sexually assaulted during the incident.

The 36-year-old male victim who suffered the throat slashing is in stable but serious condition in a local hospital that will not be named at this time.

During the twenty minutes the incident took, two pairs of patrons entered the establishment and were also robbed and struck by the suspects who seemed to be overly violent since each of the victims was cooperating.

Injured to the point of hospital treatment was the 36-year-old male suffering the throat slash, a 63-year-old female suffering severe bruises, at first believed to be a broken arm, and the 21-year-old sexual assault victim. The 63-year-old woman was released, as was the rape victim after hospital treatment.

The suspects are described as two male Blacks, late 20s, 5-10 to 6-0 and slender build and a Male White, fitting the same general description.

There may have been a fourth suspect of unknown gender or further description also involved. The amount of money taken has yet to be determined.

Anyone having information regarding this senseless and brutal attack is urged to contact Harbor Detectives L. Kallestad and Detective W. Douglas, Robbery Section (310) 548-7621.

Crime Alert: Help Capture ‘Grinder Restaurant’ Robbery Suspects
Update: LAPD Arrests ‘Grinder Restaurant’ Robbery Suspect

For Release 5:15 pm PST
December 14, 1998