Local News in Brief : Masked Robbers Sought

Authorities are looking for two short-tempered thieves who reportedly have used guns and an array of masks in a string of seven South Bay restaurant holdups.

Police believe that the same men who robbed Hof’s Hut in Torrance early Monday morning also hit the Chicago Ribs restaurant in Redondo Beach July 19 and five other area restaurants in four intervening months. The two robbers, who strike late at night and force their victims into cold storage lockers, are also suspected in robberies in Irvine and the City of Industry.

But police said heavy clothing and an ever-changing selection of masks have made it impossible to get an accurate description of the men, who have made off with $44,500 in the robberies. The gunmen have alternately covered their faces with ski masks, nylon stockings and a variety of Halloween masks.