Suspect in Canoga Park Shoot-Out Captured

A man suspected in the daring holdup of a crowded Canoga Park restaurant that ended in a shoot-out was captured early Sunday hiding in a house a few blocks away, Los Angeles police said.

A second man involved in the robbery late Saturday night of Sierra’s Restaurant at 6819 Canoga Ave. was still at large, police said. Authorities said the $4,500 stolen from the restaurant’s safe has not been recovered.

The captured man, Peter Lagunas, 24, apparently was wounded during a parking lot shoot-out between the robbers and an off-duty Los Angeles police detective who was moonlighting as a restaurant security guard.

Customers Dwindling

The Sierra’s Restaurant robbery took place at 11 p.m., just as the Saturday night dinner crowd was thinning. Two men wearing ski masks and carrying revolvers entered and stopped at the hostess desk, said Lori Rosenthal, an employee who was in the bar.

One of the men ordered the manager to announce over the P.A. system that none of the 40 or 50 customers and employees should use the telephones, Rosenthal said. His companion stood at the front of the restaurant, preventing anyone from leaving, said Lt. William Hall of the Los Angeles Police Department’s officer-involved shooting investigation team.

One of the thieves forced the manager to lead him to an office in the rear of the building. As they walked past, the gunman grabbed money that customers had left on the bar, Rosenthal said.

West Valley Detective Joseph Diglio, 43, who was working as a security guard, watched the robbery. Not wanting to confront the robbers inside the restaurant, the 18-year police veteran left the restaurant through a side door. Diglio was armed with a 5-shot, .38-caliber revolver and went to his car to get a 9-shot, 9-mm pistol, Hall said.

Diglio saw both men run through the parking lot, identified himself as a police officer and ordered them to stop. Instead, both men turned and fired at him, Hall said.

Diglio returned fire, emptying all 14 rounds from his two guns. After exchanging shots with the detective, the men climbed a fence and ran into a flood control channel.

Police arrived and followed a trail of blood to the neighborhood next to the restaurant, Hall said. The area was sealed off and 2 1/2 hours later, with the aid of police dogs, Lagunas was tracked to a house in the 6900 block of Alabama Avenue. Lagunas, a reported gang member, had two gunshot wounds in his lower right leg, police said.

He was taken to West Hills Hospital, where he was treated and released into police custody. Lagunas was charged with the attempted murder of a police officer.

Four other people, one of whom police believe may be the missing robber, were found in the house, Hall said. They were being held at the West Valley station until authorities could obtain a warrant to search the house.

The holdup marked the fourth time this year that a business near Canoga Avenue and Vanowen Street has been robbed, merchants said. About 8 months ago, Mission Burrito, a fast-food restaurant on Vanowen Street, was held up. Last month, Rocket Liquor, also on Vanowen, was robbed on two consecutive nights. Employees did not know how much money was taken.

Business owners attributed the crime wave to day-laborers who loiter on nearby corners waiting to be picked up for construction work. They also blamed gang members who live nearby.