POMONA, Calif. - A woman fought off a man who brandished a knife and demanded money at her family's tax and insurance business in Pomona last weekend in a crime caught on camera.
Concepscion Escalante, 23, told KTLA she was working alone Saturday at ALE Insurance Services, along Garey Avenue near Grand Avenue, when her attacker entered the business. After asking a few questions and claiming he had to go get his license, the man returned, pulling a knife and robbing the establishment.
"I hit him in his private area," Escalante said.
She is seen in surveillance video struggling with the robber over the knife for about a minute before he ultimately fled, taking about $1,000 with him, according to Escalante.
Escalante said she was operating on instinct at the time.
"I don't know how he didn't cut me anywhere," she said.
The woman said her attacker had brown and gray hair, nice teeth and spoke only Spanish.
The same man is believed to be responsible for a series of armed robberies and robbery attempts in the area, including robberies at three local gas stations, the Pomona Police Department said via social media.
Police further described the robber as a Latino man of about 40 years old, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 150 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a mustache. He's been seen wearing blue jeans, dark or gray tennis shoes, baseball caps and straw hats during the crimes.
