60-year-old store clerk punched in the face during robbery in Chinatown
Police are searching for the man who punched a 60-year-old store clerk during a brazen robbery in Chinatown.
The woman, who had worked at the store for 20 years, was hospitalized after the beating.
"It's heartbreaking to see something like that," said John Nguyen, the store owner. "She's one of the nicest people."
The robbery happened at Angie's Boutique at about 12 p.m. Thursday. Nguyen said that Van Huynh, the clerk, spotted the suspect walking up to the store's door with a ski mask covering his face. She tried to chain the door closed but the man overpowered her and broke into the smokeshop.
After removing his ski mask, the suspect began stealing things from the front window while Huynh tried to stop him. He shoved her to the ground and walked toward the other side of the store. He reached over the counter and picked up a black box. After picking herself off the ground, Huynh tried to stop the man from leaving store. The robber turned around and struck the 60-year-old woman in the face, knocking her to the ground.
"She's 60 years old. She didn't deserve it," said Nguyen.
People in the area ran into the store to help Huynh, who was taken to the hospital.
"She seems to be OK," said Nguyen. "She's coherent. She's talking, but her left eye is swollen shut."
The store clerk immigrated to the United States 20 years ago so her daughter could grow up in America.
"I'm a little angry at myself," said Kelly Tran, Huynh's daughter. "I'm mad at myself for not protecting her."
Huynh suffered a fracture between her eyes, swelling, a concussion and needed 20 stitches.
The store owner added that the suspect tried to rob the store the day before.
"He came in yesterday and scoped the items out," he said. "He attempted to take it yesterday. I stopped him."
Nguyen said this is the first time in 20 years that the store has been robbed. He's offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to a conviction.
The Los Angeles Police Department said they're combing through the security footage with facial recognition software to identify the suspect.