Police on Wednesday circulated security video of three men who make up the “Stand-In-A-Wall” gang and who are wanted for stealing money from cash registers in businesses.
“When you see it on video, it’s quite obvious,” said Detective Samer Issa of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mission Station. “Two of the suspects form a wall, like soccer players, to block a clerk’s view as their accomplice steals cash.”
The suspects targeted four Food 4 Less stores on Thursday in the North Hollywood, Devonshire, Panorama City and Norwalk areas, and they may be targeting other chain stores, Issa said.
Security video shows one man — the shortest of the trio — opening the till from a closed check-out stand, while his two taller accomplices stand shoulder-to-shoulder at an adjacent check-out stand, Issa said.
“The accomplices bought just enough merchandise to prolong their check- out and give their buddy time to get the cash,” Issa said. “The till-tapper got several hundred dollars, and all three walked out together.”
The shortest suspect is about 5 feet 8 inches tall; the others are about 5 feet 10 inches tall. The men are described as black, about 150-160 pounds, with dark hair.
In the robbery of the Norwalk store, when the cashier left the register, two of the suspects formed a shield near the register to hide the first suspect as he was cleaning out the register, said Detective Henry Jaquez of the sheriff’s Norwalk Station.
All three suspects fled the Norwalk store in a blue four-door sedan, possibly a Toyota Corolla, Jaquez said.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call Issa at (818) 838- 9977, Jaquez at (562) 466-5434 or Crime Stoppers, (800) 222-TIPS.
— City News Service