HOLLYWOOD – Four men have been arrested in connection with the killing of a security guard who was gunned down at an illegal gambling establishment in the Hollywood Hills during an attempted robbery, authorities said Wednesday.
The men were expected to be booked on suspicion of murder in the death of Anthony Rivas, 32, of North Hollywood, who was fatally shot about 3:40 a.m. May 31 in the 3300 block of Cahuenga Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to police, two armed male suspects wearing ski masks entered the rear of the building that morning with the intention to commit a robbery. The security guard began observing the two suspects and removed a pistol from his waistband.
One suspect pointed a rifle at the security guard and fired multiple times, striking and fatally injuring the guard, and the suspects fled the scene emptyhanded after searching the establishment for money, police said.
The names of the suspects were not immediately available.
According to KCAL9, the suspects, in their 20s, are members of a robbery crew that targeted underground casinos.
Detectives said the arrestees are the getaway driver, two gunmen, and another suspect who was sent inside to provide distraction so the door would be left open for the gunmen to gain entry, KCAL9 reported.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives found weapons, the getaway car, and both guns used in the crime in their homes in Glendora, Oxnard, Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, according to the station.