A Korean American senior in his 80s bravely fought off a handgun-wielding robber who threatened him while attempting to withdraw cash from an ATM in Koreatown, Los Angeles.
On July 21, the elderly man, surnamed Lee, went to the Chase Bank on Olympic Boulevard and Normandy Avenue at 8:10 a.m. to withdraw money. While waiting at the ATM, he was suddenly confronted by a Latino male holding him at gunpoint. Despite not having withdrawn any cash, the robber demanded money, and when Lee denied having any, the suspect reached for his wallet in his back pocket.
Feeling threatened, Lee courageously chased after the robber, who quickly fled in his car. During the scuffle, security cameras inside the bank captured the suspect’s image, who was taken by surprise by Lee’s fightback and made a hasty escape through a side door near the ATM.
Fortunately, Lee was unharmed both physically and financially, as the incident turned out to be an attempted robbery. He expressed gratitude for his safety, admitting that he had possibly let his guard down due to feeling secure at the bank, which he had frequented.
A bank security guard mentioned a similar incident that occurred at an ATM two to three years ago. Lee immediately reported the incident to the police at 8:25 a.m., but it took over an hour for them to arrive, highlighting concerns about police response times amid budget cuts and personnel shortages.
Additionally, the language barrier presents challenges for Korean Americans in filing cases and understanding investigation progress.
BY YEJIN KIM [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
