An armed robber in a ski mask walked into a Wingstop in South Los Angeles late Thursday, slipped behind the counter and walked out with roughly $5,500 in cash, according to police.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers were called at about 11:33 p.m. to the Wingstop in the 1700 block of East Vernon Avenue near Long Beach Boulevard, where the suspect pulled a handgun and demanded money from employees, as reported by MyNewsLA. Investigators said the robber, described as wearing a black jacket and a ski mask, moved behind the counter during the holdup, grabbed the cash and then took off in an unknown direction.
Employees were not reported injured. Officers canvassed the surrounding streets after the robbery but had not made an arrest by Friday, according to police.
Robberies of quick-service spots have been part of larger patterns
Law enforcement officials say this kind of late-night hit on fast-food joints and other chain retailers has become a familiar problem across Los Angeles County in recent years. In a separate high-profile federal case, prosecutors said a 2023 crew carried out a string of armed robberies that hit nine pharmacies and two Wingstop locations; the ringleader was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Hoodline previously reported on that prosecution and the ripple effects it had on front-line workers and small businesses in Los Angeles, where many say the constant threat of armed robberies has become another cost of doing business.
What investigators want from the public
After Thursday night's holdup, police said they were canvassing the area and looking for any surveillance footage that might have captured the suspect. According to available reports, investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the robbery or who has relevant video from the area around the time of the incident to contact LAPD.
The suspect remains at large and no arrests have been announced in connection with the Wingstop robbery. Local business owners say that when cases like this do get solved, it is usually because someone calls in a tip or turns over clear camera footage that helps detectives put a name to the masked face.
