LA Homeowner Who Chased Off Armed Robbers Loses Gun Permit

LOS ANGELES, CA— Los Angeles police on Monday asked for help finding three suspects in a botched armed robbery while the victim who shot at the would-be robbers announced that his concealed gun permit has been revoked.

The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday denied the department revoked Vince Ricci's permit to carry a concealed weapon. Ricci, a local entrepreneur, became a viral sensation and an NRA darling when security camera footage from the Nov. 4 robbery showed him turning the tables on a pair of armed robbers. He told FOX News his concealed permit has since been revoked.

"When the incident happened, there were only two things I could rely on: myself and the Second Amendment; and now that's in jeopardy. The leftist gun grabbers do not care about your safety. The NRA does," Ricci told FOX News.

Ricci, the CEO of Balanced Los Angeles, Hubble Studio, and Trinas Kids Foundation, was approaching his own front door in the 400 block of Plymouth Boulevard at about 7:30 p.m. when two armed men ambushed him and demanded his property, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Video from the robbery shows two suspects approaching Ricci from behind. One is carrying a handgun and he appears to press it against Ricci while demanding his property. That's when Ricci reached for a concealed handgun. The robbers turned and fled as Ricci fired on them and gave chase.

One of the robbers returned fire and fled in a dark-colored sedan driven by a third suspect, according to police. The second suspect ran in an opposite direction and escaped on foot.
Ricci was not injured in the shootout, and it was unclear if any of the robbers were struck with gunfire.

According to police, the first armed suspect is about 5 feet 10 inches tall. He was wearing a black shirt and pants and ski mask. The second robber was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing a mask and a dark hoodie with a blue stripe running down the arm.

In a video recorded by the NRA, Ricci tells his story, painting California politicians as villains for revoking his concealed weapon permit. He never explains the reason given by Los Angeles Sheriff's Department officials for revoking his permit to carry a concealed weapon.

“They would rather leave me out there to dry and let my family become a statistic,” Ricci said in the NRA video.

Ricci further describes the peril to him and his wife and newborn on the night of the robbery.

"It was a quiet evening, and as I was coming home from the gym when two armed men, masked, hopped over the wall and ran down on me with guns," he said. "And the most terrifying part was my wife, my five-month-old baby were on the other side of that door."

Ricci also said his home was burglarized just months ago. The video ends with random footage of a mob ransacking a convenience store with a voiceover by Ricci describing Los Angeles as a warzone.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department issued a statement explaining that the department followed Department of Justice policies regarding concealed weapon permits.

"We recognize that this incident was extremely traumatic and startling for the Ricci family, and we hope the individuals responsible for this crime are arrested and held accountable.

The California Department of Justice establishes guidelines for (concealed carry) permits and the Sheriff’s Department must follow the DOJ parameters in accordance with the law."

The permit may be immediately reinstated as long as the permit holder has also followed all required policies, sheriff's officials added.

Though neither the sheriff's department nor Ricci gave the specific reason for the permit's revocation, the California Department of Justice prohibits people with concealed carry permits from carrying a firearm not listed on their license or a firearm for which they are not the recorded owner; failing to carry their license; impeding a police office; refusing to display their license or to provide the firearm to a peace officer upon demand, for purposes of inspecting the firearm; or violating any federal, state, or local criminal law, according to the Giffords Law Center.

Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to contact LAPD Olympic Division detectives at 213-382-9316 or provide anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 800- 222-8477.