Days after the owner of Langer's Deli threatened to close the historic establishment due to public safety concerns, lunch customers got an idea of what he had in mind.
Around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, a woman was assaulted and robbed near the deli by an assailant who grabbed 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 reported.
The victim fought back and both fell to the ground, and the attacker then fled with the necklace, police officials told KTLA 5. The victim then ran inside Langer's Deli to get help, KTLA 5 reported.
An Instagram user who was eating at Langer's at the time of the incident posted a photo of the woman in the restaurant but incorrectly claimed 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 black man wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, LAPD spokesman Kevin Terzes said.
Terzes said the initial police report does not specify whether the chain was a necklace or some other type of jewelry.
Last week, the deli's owner, Norm Langer, told The Times that he is considering closing his 77-year-old establishment because of the proliferation of drug activity, crime and encampments in the area that he and other merchants are tired of dealing with.
