After brazen armed robbery at a restaurant left a woman wounded, Beverly Hills police announced Saturday they will be ramping up security with armed, private guards.
A woman was wounded in the leg when shots were fired during a robbery in broad daylight at famed Beverly Hills restaurant Il Pastaio Thursday. The incident fits into a recent string of armed robberies reported throughout the Los Angeles region.
Calling it an “appalling crime,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said such robberies won’t be tolerated, and assured residents that the city remains safe.
“We invest significantly in our police department to ensure our officers have every resource necessary to do their jobs effectively,” the chief said in a statement.
The armed security guards will have “visible presence” in the city as the search continues for the three assailants who got away with a restaurant patron’s watch estimated at around $400,000.
“We will keep the community updated on this incident, but in the meantime, please rest assured that the Beverly Hills Police Department is taking every possible measure to ensure your safety and security,” the chief said.
Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the moment shots were fired during the robbery at the Italian eatery on the 400 block of North Canon Drive Thursday.
Panicked restaurants patrons can be seen running as gunshots rang out.
Witnesses described three hooded people grab a man dining at the restaurant from behind the neck. He fought back before someone fired a gun, hitting the woman in the calf.
The suspects then fled the scene with the man’s watch, a Richard Mille timepiece worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Los Angeles Police Department has described a recent “disturbing trend,” saying 18 victims were shot during robberies this year, compared to just one during the same time period last year.