Local News in Brief : Kidnap-Robbery Case
A pair of gunmen kidnaped two young Sun Valley boys and forced their mother, who works at a check-cashing business, to pay ransom with money taken from the company, police said Friday.
Dora Rodriguez, 32, complied with the gunmen’s demands and the boys, ages 6 and 8, were found Thursday night inside a van abandoned by the gunmen in North Hollywood, Los Angeles Police Detective Jim Wegman said. The boys’ names were not released.
Wegman said the men, both armed with handguns, rushed up to Rodriguez’s truck after she pulled into the driveway of her home about 8 p.m. Thursday, then abducted the boys.
Wegman would not say how much money was taken from All Express Check Cashing in North Hollywood. “They made a pretty good haul,” he said.
Wegman said the incident may be connected to the kidnaping last month of two cashiers who worked at a check-cashing business in East Los Angeles. In that case, he said, the employees were forced to pay their own ransom with money taken from a company safe.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
