Suspect Sought in Restaurant Robberies

Police released surveillance camera footage and a composite drawing of an armed man robbing a McDonalds who is also suspected of committing a series of similar robberies at other fast-food restaurants in Highland Park, Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park.

Seven robberies have occurred between Dec. 9 and Sunday where a lone gunman threatens employees with a handgun and demands money from the cash register. He then flees on foot, Los Angeles Police Department Capt. William Murphy said at an afternoon news conference at the Northeast Station.

Surveillance camera footage released during today's news conference showed the suspect entering a McDonalds, walking to the counter, flashing a gun to a woman at the counter, demanding that she take money from her cash register tray.

The cashier took the tray out and gave the money to the suspect. He then went to the next cashier and ordered her to do the same. The manager can be seen on the video, just as the second cashier is about to empty her tray. The suspect noticed the manager coming and ran out, only getting cash from the first cashier.

"He does it low key," Murphy said. "He doesn't draw any attention. He flashes the gun quickly. The people in the background appear to not know what's going on. The scary part is that he's doing the robberies between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. when families are coming in."

The suspect was described as a 24- to 27-year-old man who is between 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. He has dark-colored hair and eyes and wore a dark-colored hoodie-type sweater with dark, baggy pants.

Detectives asked anyone with information regarding the suspect to call them at (323) 344-5751.