The register was empty. So get this — he went back inside looking for more.
That’s the all too familiar scene that played out early Monday morning at Mashti Malone’s, a Persian ice cream institution on La Brea Avenue at the western edge of West Hollywood.
Security footage shows the suspect smashing through the front door, grabbing the cash register and bolting, then stopping when he realized there was nothing in it. He went back in, tore open a storage door in the back, and dug around until he found the cash tray.
Owner Mehdi Shirzani told Fox 11 it wasn’t a surprise. “He was very desperate, in a hurry,” Shirzani said. He’s got three locations. Between them, he’s been through this seven times in the past two years.
About 30 minutes later and less than a mile away, the same man: same black hoodie, same cargo pants walked into Gold Nail Bar on Highland Avenue near the Walk of Fame and grabbed that register too.
Cops caught him not long after. Walking down Hollywood and Highland. Still carrying the register.
LAPD confirmed the suspect is in custody and the two break-ins are believed connected. The amount of cash taken from either location wasn’t immediately known.
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This story has absolutely nothing to do with the City of West Hollywood.
In case you haven’t noticed, we cover all kinds of stories. In this particular case, it’s a story that takes place on the border of West Hollywood. I imagine your head must explode when we cover national stories lol 🤦🏻♂️
And I appreciate it, Brian Holt.