Florence taco truck hit in latest string of armed robberies

Police are searching for two masked men who robbed a taco stand at gunpoint Wednesday night in the Florence neighborhood of South Los Angeles.

Officers responded to a report of a robbery in the 400 block of Manchester Avenue about 10:30 p.m. Authorities said the suspects fled north on Towne Avenue.

Employees at the food stand told KNBC-TV Channel 4 this was the second time their business has been targeted in recent months.

“People are out here hustling, just making ends meet,” Oscar Lozano, the taco stand owner, told the news station. “They’re just working for their necessities. For people to come armed … it’s just not fair.”

Lozano said two robbers pointed guns at him and took all the money he had, which was between $50 and $100. No injuries were reported, police said.

Authorities described both suspects as men in their early 20s, about 5 foot 8. One was dressed in all black; the other wore a blue sweater and black pants. Both were armed with handguns, police said.

The incident follows a string of armed robberies and other violence at taco trucks in L.A. in the last few weeks. No arrests have been made, but police said the earlier robberies may be connected. Authorities did not say whether those robberies were targeting workers or customers.

It was not immediately clear whether Wednesday’s robbery was linked to the earlier incidents, police said.