Mort’s Deli Robbed at Gunpoint

Mort’s Deli on Swarthmore was robbed at gunpoint last Wednesday evening, March 30, by two young male suspects. The robbery occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m., shortly before the restaurant closed. The two suspects were described as African Americans in their late teens to early 20s, wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and masks. According to a police report, they entered the restaurant through the rear alley door. Displaying a handgun, they approached the cashier and demanded money from the register. The suspects fled on foot out the back door with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to Senior Lead Officer Chris Ragsdale, who explained that ‘the rear door is normally unlocked when customers are still inside.’ One suspect has been brought in for questioning and others are being looked at by the West Los Angeles Area Robbery Homicide Unit. ‘Several employees and one customer also had their wallets taken during the robbery,’ Ragsdale said, citing five victims total. ‘An unknown amount of money was also taken from the Lotto sales cash box.’ Ragsdale added that it’s possible there were other victims since several witnesses had left the scene and were not available for interview when the officers were conducting the investigation just following the robbery. One of the victims was Scott Allen, who grew up in the Palisades and is now a high school teacher. Allen was having dinner that night at Mort’s with two friends. They had arrived at about 9:30 p.m. ‘At about 9:45, two individuals with dark sweatshirts, pants and gloves entered the restaurant,’ Allen told the Palisadian-Post. ‘Their hoods were over their heads and pinned shut across their faces to prevent them from being identified. I did not see them enter. They just looked like some young kids goofing off to me. They made no loud demands and did not wave their pistols around.’ When one of his friends alerted him to the fact that a robbery was taking place, Allen said to her, ‘This is Mort’s Deli in Pacific Palisades. No one is going to rob this place.’ Soon afterwards, he noticed about four of the employees standing just beyond the Mort’s counter talking to the assailants but did not hear what they were saying. One of the suspects approached the victim’s table and ‘demanded that we give him everything in our pockets”Wallets, cell phones!” said Allen, who was robbed of his wallet. ‘He held a semi-automatic pistol in his right hand. We complied.’ Of Allen’s friends, one had a cell phone taken and the other had both a cell phone and wallet taken. ‘As we were sitting at the table’still a bit in shock but not panicking at all’a police car dashed up to Mort’s, pulling up against traffic on Swarthmore,’ Allen said. ‘The officer got out of the car and asked a couple of questions, and then immediately sped off.’ According to the police report, six units from the LAPD-West Los Angeles area responded to the scene and surrounding area for the on-scene investigation and area search for the suspects. The first unit arrived on scene within two minutes of the call being dispatched.