Police presence was beefed up after multiple taco vendors were robbed at gunpoint overnight in the South Bay area. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2024.
It was a violent night for street taco vendors in the South Bay overnight Friday into Saturday following four armed robberies all within an hour.
Police are searching for a group of three to four armed robbers who assaulted and took cash from four food vendors at gunpoint. The Los Angeles Police Department said investigators believe all the robberies may be related.
According to law enforcement, the timeline of events is as follows:
- 11:40 p.m. at the intersection of Torrance Boulevard and Denker Avenue in Harbor Gateway – Three to four armed men dressed in all black struck the vendors in the head with a gun. Robbers took off with $500 in cash and the victims were treated at a hospital for their injuries.
- 11:52 p.m. at the intersection of Normandie Avenue and W. 190 Street in Harbor Gateway – A group of three to four armed men demanded cash from the vendors and took off with roughly $1,500. No injuries occurred during this robbery.
- 12:20 a.m. at the intersection of 182nd Street and Western Avenue in Torrance – A group of armed men held up the vendors at gunpoint and demanded cash. It is unclear how much they took off with, but they left the scene in a dark-colored vehicle with no license plate.
- Before 12:30 a.m. at the intersection of Torrance Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Carson – Two men demanded cash from the street vendors. One victim was injured and hospitalized with injuries that were undisclosed. It's unclear if the assailants took off with any cash.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
A detailed description of the robbers was not immediately available. Authorities are seeking more information from witnesses.
