Cops take heist leads off video

Thursday, Dec. 5, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

A weekend heist at a local pawn shop remains under investigation as Metro Police try to pick up the bandits' trail.

Metro Police are working with footage obtained from surveillance cameras inside the Super Pawn at 3021 Business Lane, near Industrial Road and Harmon Avenue, that captured the three gunmen in business suits.

Witnesses told police the men entered the business about noon Sunday and wandered around as if shopping. They announced the robbery after the last customer left the building.

"The employees were gathered up and held at bay while the other two suspects smashed the display cases," said Lt. Larry Spinosa of Metro's crimes against persons section.

The thieves made off with an undetermined amount of jewelry, fleeing in a 1993 gray four-door Ford Crown Victoria. Police later recovered the car in the 4500 block of Valley View Boulevard, a vehicle stolen out of Los Angeles in August.

Police are looking for three black males between 30 and 40 years old. The oldest is thin, 5 feet 10, had his hair in a ponytail and was wearing a gray business suit and sunglasses.

The second robber was also thin with long hair, a mustache and sideburns, and was wearing a blue sports coat and sunglasses. The third suspect was 5 feet 9, husky, with short hair in a gray suit and "Elvis" type sunglasses.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the robbery detail at 229-3591 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.