El Segundo

Teenage Volunteers Robbed at Gunpoint in El Segundo, One Butted With Gun

The men got away in a maroon sedan

A teen was struck in the face with the barrel of the gun after she hesitated to hand over her cellphone in an armed robbery in El Segundo Saturday, police said.

"Potentially, someone could have been killed over a cellphone," Lt. Dan Kim of the El Segundo Police Department said. "Clearly a violent crime like that does concern us."

Two volunteers, ages 18 and 19, who had arrived early at the 500 block of West Imperial Avenue before their work, were approached by a man around 7:50 a.m.

The two were sitting on the curb when the robber walked up and demanded their phones, the El Segundo Police Department said.

One of the teens hesitated, and police said the man hit her in the face with the barrel of his gun.

She gave up the phone, and the thief took off to the getaway car waiting just east on Imperial Avenue.

The robbery was captured on surveillance footage of a nearby apartment complex.

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The getaway car was described as a 1990s maroon four-door sedan. It was possibly a Chevrolet Impala or a Ford Thunderbird.

The robber was described by police as being 22 to 27 years old, measuring 6-feet 2-inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. He had a full black beard and was wearing a black baseball cap, and dark clothing.

The man in the getaway car was described as being 27 to 33 years old with a medium build and wearing a white hooded sweatshirt. 

Anyone with information on the robbery or suspects was encouraged to call El Segundo police at (310) 524-2258.

The victims were volunteering for the Tree Musketeers, an organization working to empower young people to be environmental leaders.

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