Days after the owner of Langer’s Deli threatened to close the historic establishment because of public-safety concerns, lunchtime patrons got an inkling into what was on his mind.
Around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, a woman was assaulted and robbed near the deli on Alvarado Street by an assailant who took a chain from her, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The victim was on her way to meet her daughter at a store when she was confronted by a man near MacArthur Park, KTLA 5-TV reported.
The victim fought back and both fell to the ground; the attacker then ran off with the necklace, police officials told KTLA.
The woman was walking by the deli in distress, crying and talking on the phone when a customer noticed her and recommended that she come into the restaurant to calm down, an employee told the deli’s owner, Norm Langer.
Langer told The Times that he had been sitting at a table in the corner of his restaurant and did not see the woman come in.
A deli employee helped the woman sit down and gave her water while they waited for police.
Langer said he was surprised at this incident, adding, “We’ve never had anything like this happen before.”
“My customers for all intents and purposes are safe coming from the parking lot,” he said.
An Instagram user who was eating at Langer’s at the time of the incident posted a photo of the woman at the restaurant, but incorrectly stated that the robbery had occurred inside the deli.
A caller who reported the robbery to police at 1:34 p.m. described the suspect as a male wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, said Kevin Terzes, spokesperson for the LAPD.
Terzes said the initial police report does not specify whether the chain was a necklace or some other type of jewelry.
Last week Langer told The Times that he’s considering closing his 77-year-old establishment because of a proliferation of drug activity, crime and encampments in the area that he and other merchants are tired of dealing with.
