Unmasked gunman robs food from kitchen of Roscoe’s in Pasadena

A man entered a Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles in Pasadena Wednesday evening without a face mask, prompting an argument that ended with him brandishing a handgun and stealing food from the restaurant’s kitchen, police said.

Pasadena police officers were called to the restaurant at 5:40 p.m. for an armed robbery, Lt. Marcia Taglioretti said.

Two men had walked into the restaurant, one wearing a mask and the other without one. The unmasked man began arguing with a restaurant employee who had told him he needed to wear a mask, Taglioretti said.

The man pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the employee and, according to the police, said something along the lines of, “What are you going to do about it?”

Another employee, hearing the commotion, came out and started to approach the man, who then pointed the gun at him. The suspect walked into the kitchen, and all four of the restaurant’s employees ran out through a side door.

The gunman grabbed food from the kitchen and walked out of the restaurant, Taglioretti said. He remained at large Wednesday night along with his companion, who apparently did not show a gun or say anything to the employees.

The restaurant’s employees could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Police were still searching for the two suspects. The gunman was described as a Black man in his 30s or 40s with a thin build, black curly hair, hazel eyes and tattoos on his neck and face. He was last seen wearing a green sweater and white sweatpants with black polka dots. His companion was described as a Latino man with a shaved head, standing between 5 feet 4 and 5 feet 5 and weighing about 150 pounds. He was wearing a blue jacket and a blue face mask.