Armed men escape mall during police standoff

WESTCHESTER, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Fourteen people were released after being held hostage inside a Nordstrom Rack store in Westchester all night during an armed robbery. The search is still on for at least two suspects. 

The situation started at about 11 p.m. Thursday when a husband or boyfriend of an employee called police to say there was an armed robbery. When officers arrived at the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center, they saw a man who was acting strangely run into the Nordstrom Rack. They then saw another suspicious man grab a woman and take her into the store.

"They observed a second suspect walking out of the store in the company of a female. That suspect looked in the direction of the officers, grabbed the female and forced her back inside the Nordstrom," said LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman.

SWAT officers surrounded the shopping center and closed off the area. After a couple of hours, they forced their way into the Nordstrom Rack at about 2 a.m. and found a group of hostages, 13 women and 1 man, huddled together and frightened. Police say they were all employees.

"The majority of them were in one location, a storage room in one part of the store," said Neiman.
Police confirmed that one female hostage was sexually assaulted. She was transported to a local hospital. One other person who was stabbed was treated and released at the scene. There were reports that a third person was pistol-whipped, but authorities could not confirm that information.

The robbery suspects are still at large. The hostages told police the suspects carried weapons. It is unclear what was stolen from the store, and police do not know how the suspects escaped.-[Full Article]

[Webmaster - This is what happens in a GUN-FREE ZONE.]

Craigslist Crime: Victim turns table on brazen robbers

WOIO 19 Action News



AKRON, OH (WOIO) -

Shortly after 6PM Tuesday, a 22-year-old Akron man was robbed inside of his Triplett Boulevard home by three punks armed with handguns.

This, after he advertised an X-Box on Craigslist.

One suspect arrived at John Ruggiero's house and wanted to look at the X-Box to see if the game system worked. The suspect then used his cell phone to call a friend to bring him money.

Within minutes, two other men stormed inside Ruggiero's house, armed with handguns, and robbed him of $85. As the suspects were robbing Ruggiero, he pulled out his own handgun and fired several shots at the suspects. The suspects fled in a white, 4-door car...[Full Article]

Would-Be Robbery Victim Fires Back, Literally

http://www.wsaw.com/news/headlines/Would-Be_Robbery_Victim_Fires_Back_Literally_136369278.html

The hunt is on for a suspect behind a shooting linked to Craigslist.

John Ruggiero listed a special edition Halo Xbox on Craigslist, and a young man came to his home to check it out. The buyer called his friend on his cell phone to bring the money. Instead, two thugs ran inside the home, waving a gun.

They told John to get on hiis knees, they took 85 dollars out of his pockets-- than that's when things went horribly wrong for the crooks.

"He said put your hands behind your back and that's where my gun was" said Ruggiero.

The men saw John's dogs, but they were caged up. Even so, John took control of the situation when the thugs turned around. "As soon as he turned his head, I stood up, stepped back right here and fired two shots at him."

Two of the bad guys went to the hospital, and that's when police connected them to the Craigslist robbery. In custody are 18 year old Jeremy Culver and 20 year old Shawn Davis. The third thief is still on the loose.

The 22 year old, a registered gun owner, has never shot at a person before. Is he sorry he did now? "You are going to put a gun on my forehead, in my house, trying to steal all my stuff? Of course I am going to shoot you, I don't feel bad about it, it's your fault."