Police say workers used pepper spray to halt the assault as customers looked on; the suspect was arrested at the scene.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — A robbery attempt at a Vanowen Street laundromat turned violent Wednesday afternoon when a man stormed inside and attacked the owner’s wife, prompting employees to fight back and hold him off until Los Angeles police arrived, the business owner said.
The clash at Laundry King, a neighborhood coin-op lined with stainless steel machines and folding tables, was captured on surveillance video and quickly spread across local newscasts. Owner Vardan Kostanyan said the man barged in and demanded money, then shoved and hit several people, including his wife, before workers intervened. One employee used pepper spray to stop the attack. Officers detained a suspect minutes later. The incident has renewed questions from nearby shopkeepers about safety along this commercial stretch of North Hollywood, where managers say late-day crowds and cash-based businesses make them targets.
Staff told police the confrontation began shortly after 4 p.m. as customers moved between machines and an office at the back of the store. Security footage shows a masked man entering briskly, swinging what employees described as a metal rod or pipe while yelling for the safe to be opened. Workers replied they didn’t have access, according to Kostanyan. “He started shoving people, hitting them, and then he went after my wife,” Kostanyan said in an interview. When his wife was forced to the floor near a row of front-loading washers, two employees rushed in. During the struggle, one worker deployed pepper spray at close range, and the man stumbled backward toward the doorway. A customer who had already called 911 pointed officers to the suspect as patrol cars rolled up outside.
Los Angeles police confirmed a man was taken into custody on suspicion of attempted robbery and battery. Detectives said they recovered a metal object believed to have been used during the confrontation. No gun was seen on the footage reviewed by investigators, and no shots were fired, police said. Paramedics checked several people for minor injuries related to pushing, falls and the spray; none required hospital transport, according to fire officials briefed on the call. The store’s front door and an interior panel were damaged during the struggle. The owner said the laundromat’s cash drawers were intact and no money was taken. As of Thursday evening, police had not publicly released the man’s name pending booking and notification steps. The precise motive remained under investigation.
Kostanyan said the Vanowen Street location has faced a string of crimes over the past year, including a late-night break-in that shattered the glass entry and a separate armed holdup in which a robber pointed a handgun at a clerk. He already pays for an overnight guard from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at the site and operates several other Laundry King stores around the area. “We need more cops, more surveillance,” he said. “People who do this should be in jail for longer instead of just going in and out.” Nearby shopkeepers echoed the concern, saying they have seen more aggressive confrontations and thefts since the holidays. City crime analysts cautioned that block-level patterns can vary week to week and said they will review calls for service around Vanowen Street to determine whether patrol adjustments are warranted.
Investigators were collecting statements from employees, customers and the owner’s wife, who appeared in the video being shoved during the scuffle. Detectives also downloaded footage from multiple cameras positioned above the front counter and over the aisles. The metal object, described by witnesses as a rod or pipe, was logged into evidence. Police said they will present the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration once reports and interviews are complete. Any charges could include attempted robbery, assault and vandalism tied to the damaged door, though final counts will be determined by prosecutors. A court appearance would likely occur at the Van Nuys courthouse if charges are filed.
Customers who walked up after the arrest found the shop unusually quiet. “I’ve never seen my laundromat empty like this,” Kostanyan said, noting that business fell off in the hours after the incident. He said he is weighing whether to expand private security to daytime hours but worries about the cost for a small operation. “I have to decide on a different kind of protocol or have security 24 hours, but then that means I’m going to go bankrupt paying my security guard,” he said. A worker who helped restrain the man described the response as instinctive: “We saw her in danger and jumped in,” the employee said, adding that the pepper spray ended the attack within seconds.
Police officials said patrol units in the North Hollywood Division responded within minutes of the 911 call and that the station has increased checks at businesses in the immediate area this week. Officers encouraged proprietors to store less cash on site and to review camera angles to ensure clear views of entryways and counters. The department is also looking at whether the suspect may be linked to other recent theft attempts at coin-operated shops. Investigators did not immediately confirm if the man was experiencing homelessness or a behavioral health crisis at the time; those questions, they said, will be considered as they gather background and review prior contacts.
Records show the block around Laundry King includes small restaurants, auto shops and service businesses that rely on steady foot traffic. Some owners said they have installed door buzzers or moved cash handling to the back of their stores since last summer. Others said repeat thefts have pushed them to close earlier on weeknights. Neighborhood council members have asked for updated data on robberies and burglaries along Vanowen Street and nearby corridors to compare with last year’s totals. The council plans to discuss lighting, security cameras and storefront improvements at its next public meeting.
Kostanyan said his wife is sore but recovering at home. He credited his staff for moving quickly and customers for calling police as the situation escalated. While the store reopened after officers cleared the scene, he said he spent part of the evening sweeping up broken glass and reviewing video with detectives. “We’ll be here tomorrow,” he said, “but we need to feel safer doing it.”
As of Friday morning, the suspect remained in custody while detectives compiled reports and collected additional video. The case is expected to be forwarded to county prosecutors for review in the coming days, with a charging decision possibly next week. The laundromat planned normal hours while the owner evaluated security changes.
Author note: Last updated January 23, 2026.