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ENCINO (CNS) - Authorities Tuesday were seeking three suspects who allegedly assaulted a Ralphs employee inside a store in Encino.
The crime occurred at about 4:50 p.m. Monday in the 17800 block of Ventura Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to police, the suspects -- two men and a woman -- fled in a Dodge Durango SUV, which sped away on Ventura Boulevard.
According to KTLA5, which aired security video of the crime, the suspects walked into the store and confronted an unidentified male employee who was standing near a female employee. Within seconds, one of the suspects threw a punch at the male and there was a scuffle during which the victim was attacked by multiple suspects.
The employee who provided the video said that at one point, one of the suspects shoved a shopping cart into the victim.
According to the employee who provided the video, the incident began earlier Monday when that same employee stopped the young woman from stealing bags full of merchandise. The employee told the television station that a few hours later, the woman returned with the men seen in the video.
A spokesperson for Ralphs issued the following statement in response to the incident:
"We are deeply saddened by a senseless act of violence that took place at our store at our Ralphs in Encino yesterday. Safety remains one of our core values and is top priority. We are working in full cooperation with local law enforcement to support their ongoing investigation and identify the suspect(s)."
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call 877-LAPD-247.