Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: McDonald’s 850 N. Wendy Dr. Newbury Park, Ca. 91320
Date & Time/ RB#: Apr. 21, 2009 @ 4:45 a.m. / 09-9784
Unit Responsible: East County Major Crimes Unit

Gunfire narrowly missed a robbery victim and the Good Samaritan who came to his aid early this morning outside a McDonald’s restaurant.

Two masked men confronted a McDonald’s employee with a gun when he arrived at work at 4:45 a.m. The victim struggled with the robbers and tried to get away. A local resident, who was in the nearby parking lot, helped the victim into his car, and the robbers fled on foot.

The Good Samaritan decided to follow the suspect in his car to see where they were going. When the robbers realized they were being followed, one of the men turned and fired several shots from a handgun at the Good Samaritan’s car. One of the bullets smashed through the passenger window and lodged in the driver’s doorframe, missing the robbery victim and the man who came to his aid by inches.

The two victims stopped following the robbers and notified the Sheriff’s Department. The robbers have not been located. A bullet was recovered from the doorframe of the victim’s car. Detectives are canvassing the nearby residential neighborhood searching for witnesses. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call investigators at (805)494-8201.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at (805) 494-TALK (Thousand Oaks / Moorpark) or (805) 385-TALK (Camarillo / Oxnard / Port Hueneme).