An apparent armed robbery attempt at a Burlington Coat Factory outlet in Inglewood ended peacefully today as the suspects surrendered after allowing workers to walk out.
The incident at 3150 Imperial Highway began about 7:10 a.m., said Inglewood police Lt. Neal Cochran, adding that at least one suspect was armed.
Some workers inside the building saw three men wearing ski masks enter the business and notified police, Cochran said. A SWAT team was sent to the scene, and a standoff ensued.
By about 8:30 a.m., the suspects apparently communicated with police that they were ready to surrender. However, the front doors would not open, prompting officers to break a glass panel in one door around about 8:45 a.m. to allow people to leave.
By about 9 a.m., people–most of them women–began coming outside, and within a half hour, everyone had apparently left the building. Cochran said the people would be interviewed by police to find out what happened, and the suspects would be arrested and booked.
The SWAT team searched the business to make sure no one remained inside, said Cochran adding that police were not sure how the suspects got into the building.
While Inglewood police typically regularly get shoplifting calls from the store, Cochran said the robbery attempt was unusual.
