Restaurant robbed at gunpoint, shots fired

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A Mobile restaurant in the heart of Midtown has been the target of robbers over the past few months, the owners said.

The latest robbery at the China Chef on Government Street turned violent Tuesday, February 5. So FOX10 News went to find out what police are doing to put an end to this trend.

There are myriad offerings on the China Chef’s visual menu, including sesame chicken. The picture for that dish is garnished with a bullet hole.

Rest assured — the sesame chicken doesn’t come with a side of bullets.

Sammy Au, whose family owns the China Chef, said, "It was shocking. The girls who were working for me are scared."

The managers behind the family-owned restaurant said at around 7 p.m., two masked men barged in and stole money at gunpoint.

The surveillance video shows two masked men rushing in. One man waited at the door while the other robbed the cashier. A bullet was fired before they ran off.

"Everybody's scared. This is crazy,” said Au.

This has become a pattern of sorts, according to the owners. It’s the third time since November that this has happened. This store was robbed on November 13, January 19 and February 5. Au said each case was similar — a robbery with multiple suspects, and a gun involved.

"This is the first time somebody opened fire,” Au said.

Restaurant workers feel their store is a target because of an alleyway nearby. It's very dark at night and after this recent robbery, they've had enough. They will install floodlights to keep the area lit.

Mobile Police are on the case. A spokesman said investigators observe patterns like this and they put together intelligence to track the suspects down.

The case is still under investigation, and officers believe the suspects in the crimes could be the same, but they would not go into further detail.

"They’re doing a great job,” said Au. “But hopefully they can do better."

If you have any information on this crime, or any other crimes committed at this location, call Mobile police.