Armed Robbery at a 7-11 in Brentwood?

The Brentwood 7-11 on Wilshire near Federal (Vicki Talbot)

Brentwood is a sleepy little LA burg that doesn't know from crime; just the occasional car thefts and small-time burglars looking for computers for drug money, a few white collar criminals and some neighborly feuds, divorces and custody battles. So the morning of October 6 was a wake up call.

What Happened?

First of all, yes, there is a 7-11 in Brentwood. Its located at 11656 Wilshire Boulevard, just west of Federal.

Thursday, October 6, at 5 a.m., two suspects entered the 7-11 store wearing hoodies, baseball caps, white plastic painter's suits and painter's masks. 

In the store's security video we see the first suspect enter the store. He runs up to the manager in the aisle, where he is training a new employee. The robber jabs the poor guy in the back of the neck with a handgun and forces him to the floor. Then he drags the guy across the floor to the cash registers and the safe, behind the counter. The suspect is in such a hurry that he doesn't see his friend enter the store. Like a scene out of the Keystone Cops, he bumps into him as the accomplice enters the aisle. They almost blew it right there.

The second guy grabs the employee, and forces him to the ground. "Stay on the ground," he yells. The employee lies still, face down on the floor, but the guy keeps yelling, "Stay on the f-ing ground." Then, he runs up to the counter and retrieves the firearm from the first guy and runs back down the aisle with the gun. That is simply ODD.

Shah, the employee on the floor, still
serves customers at the 7-11 (Vicki Talbot)

"Try the cash register," his friend says. The manager comes back into the screen and opens the register. 

Then, in a strange twist, an "Unknown Witness" enters the store. She drops a few bucks on the counter. "Just getting a refill," she says, walking over to the coffee, oblivious that an armed robbery is in progress. The second suspect hangs back in the aisle while the first one tries the second register. Then the two run out the door. The "Unknown Witness" is completely oblivious, still pouring her coffee.

Burglary in Brentwood

How did the "Unknown Witness" miss that? Perhaps she just didn't have that "street sense." She was probably a local. There is no crime in Brentwood. But heck! She walked right past two guys in those matching weird getups and  one other guy on the floor. Well, this is L.A. after all, but really? When the robbers leave, she is still waiting for her commuter cup to fill. 

Detective Stan Evans of the LAPD noted that the closest thing to burglary in Brentwood were three armed robberies in the Westwood area. Of course, that is on the OTHER side of the 405; it could take an hour to get under that bridge and into the Brentwood area. 

But seriously, Evans said there have been 60-70 robberies in the West LA area, but none with the same M.O. (that's police jargon for Modus Operandi). "Overall, there are not a lot of robberies in the Brentwood area," he said. "No one  dressed up like that has been reported in any other divisions." Thank God! What a fashion statement!

Everyone Needed Coffee

The video is a scene straight out of a Tarantino flick. Really.

First, the two robbers nearly crash into each other; what is that about? I believe they were going through caffeine withdrawal - or something. They only got away with $200! Was it really worth it?

Then, they only had one weapon between them. The guy is yelling "Stay on the f-ing ground," like yelling would make it happen. It did, but what if he threw something? Why not? Of course, someone had a gun so it wasn't likely. But hey, like I say, this is Hollywood. Everything is about the movies!

And then there is that poor "Unknown Witness." Did she need that coffee or what? She probably doesn't even know she was a witness yet. Forgedaboudit.

The LAPD is asking the public to help apprehend the suspects (like that lingo?). How did these two dimwits get away with it?

The LAPD website describes the suspects as:

African-American males that appeared to be 20 years old. They stood about 6 feet tall and weighed about 150 pounds. Both suspects were last seen wearing white plastic painter's suits, gloves and their faces were covered by painter's masks.

If you have any information that might help, or if you are the "Unknown Witness," please call Detective Evans at 310-444-1520. No one in Los Angeles should be allowed to dress like that. Ever.