Employees locked in freezers in string of robberies hitting LV

Metro robbery detectives, Secret Witness and area businesses are offering $26,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a series of restaurant robberies on the southeast side of Las Vegas.

The robberies all end with the victims being locked in freezers after opening their safes for a masked suspect threatening them with a gun.

"We look for similarities and patterns in robberies and in this case the perpetrators make forcible entry through a roof or wall and lay low until the morning manager gets there to open up," Metro Detective Allen Garris said. "When the manager arrives in the morning they are told at gunpoint to open the safe. We don't know how many people are involved, but they are pretty professional."

Seven restaurants have been hit in the crime spree.

"Most recently the Applebee's near Warm Springs and Interstate 215 was robbed on June 9," Garris said.

Secret Witness is responsible for $1,000 of the reward money, while donations from area businesses make up the other $25,000.

Until the robbery detail makes an arrest in this case, police are asking that business and restaurant owners take extra precautions.

About 20 business owners and managers were at a Metro substation Wednesday night getting tips from crime prevention specialist Bill Tullock on how to safeguard their businesses.

"The most vulnerable times for these businesses is during closings and openings," Tullock said. "There should always be two people working during these times."

Tullock stressed that circling the property and looking for anything out of the ordinary is a good way to avoid falling victim to this type of robbery.

"You should go around the building when closing and opening your business, and if you see something out of place call police," Tullock said. "Then when you go in to do your inside check, have another employee wait outside. If you both have cellular phones you can communicate back and forth and make sure everything is OK.

"If the person inside gets in trouble, the employee on the outside can call police."

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