A gunman escaped with a bagful of money and a guard's gun after confronting an armored car courier Tuesday morning in the parking lot of a Granada Hills shopping mall, police said.
A Brinks truck was making a delivery to a CVS pharmacy in the mall at the corner of Zelzah Avenue and Chatsworth Street, according to LAPD Robery Homicide Detective Bret Richards.
Minutes after 11 a.m., as the Brinks driver remained in the vehicle per protocol, the courier was walking to the store entrance when the gunman appeared, demanding the guard's gun and the money bag, then running through the parking lot, Richards said.
The Brinks team tried to follow the robber, but lost sight of him on Lindley Avenue, said Richards. The robber was described as wearing a hood and face covering.
No shots were fired and one was injured. The incident did not affect Granada Hills Charter High School half a block to the south.
As is protocol on armored car robberies, the FBI is working with LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division on the investigation. Richards said such robberies are extremely rare.
Brinks did not respond to a request for comment. Authorities declined to disclose how much the robber got.
