Sexual assault, stabbing in US hostage drama | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Sexual assault, stabbing in US hostage drama

AFP | By, Los Angeles
Jan 12, 2013 08:37 AM IST

A woman was sexually assaulted and another victim was stabbed during a late-night hostage-taking that lasted into the early hours on Friday at a department store near Los Angeles, police said.

A woman was sexually assaulted and another victim was stabbed during a late-night hostage-taking that lasted into the early hours on Friday at a department store near Los Angeles, police said.

HT Image
HT Image

Officers were looking for two suspects over what initially appears to have started out as an armed robbery, but which ended when 14 victims were rescued by SWAT teams at the Nordstrom Rack store in Westchester, southwest of LA.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Police were alerted shortly after 11:00 pm Thursday (0700 GMT Friday) when a female staff member reported that two armed men had entered the store, said LA Police Department (LAPD) spokesman Andy Neiman.

Officers scrambled and they surrounded the store, before calling in SWAT reinforcements, he said.

A little after 2:00am the SWAT team located 13 female staff and one male employee held in a storage room and bathroom, he said.

Some 200 people were also stranded inside a cinema at the shopping center during the drama.

"As we interviewed and debriefed all of the hostages, we learned that one of the hostages was stabbed," Neiman told Fox11 television. "That hostage has been treated for a non-life-threatening wound.

"Also, sadly, one of the other hostages was sexually assaulted," he added.

The incident comes amid intense debate in the United States about gun control, revived after a gunman killed 26 people including 20 young children at a school in Newtown, Connecticut in December.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On