Suspect claiming to be delivery driver robs pizza shop at gunpoint in Spring Garden: police
PHILADELPHIA - A local pizza shop is on high alert after a robbery at gunpoint Wednesday night.
Philadelphia Police say a man walked into La Gustosa Pizzeria in Spring Garden around 9:50 p.m. claiming he was there to pick up a Door Dash delivery.
Surveillance video shows one employee at the counter who told him there was no order and that’s when police said the robber pulled out a handgun.
Owner Aftab Haque said two employees and a customer who happened to walk in during the robbery in progress were held behind the counter as the man stole $300 in cash from the register and about $2,000 out of an employee’s bag.
Haque said one employee was also pistol whipped in the head.
"We knew it might happen one of these days, it’s not unusual in Philadelphia, so the normal thing was we had that discussion. No need to resist and escalate the situation," said Haque.
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Back in 2021, Philadelphia Police investigated a shooting in this exact location when the business was under different ownership and called Bold Pizza. Police said a teenager shot a man who was trying to steal money from the register.
La Gustosa is back to business as usual and the owner plans to ban face coverings inside his business moving forward.