Orange County deputies are investigating an armed robbery at an I-HOP restaurant on Lee Road, the second robbery to occur at this location in less than one month.
According to deputies, an armed suspect entered the I-Hop at 1345 Lee Road on Wednesday around 1:30 am. The suspect, who had his face and head covered, robbed employees of cash and belongings and pistol whipped and seriously injured a 51-year-old female customer as she attempted to flee the robbery.
On October 15, the same I-HOP restaurant was robbed by a gunman who terrorized employees and customers and make off with an undisclosed amount of cash. On this occasion, the suspect herded the customers and employees to the back of the restaurant where he got them to hand over whatever they had in their pockets, while brandishing a silver hand gun. A teenager, who was a customer, was told by the suspect to carry a duffel bag that the suspect gave him to collect the belongings of the customers.
Detectives are reviewing carefully video of both robberies to see if they connected.
Anyone with information is asked to called Crimeline at # 1-800-423-8477.
