53-year-old woman pulls pellet gun on LAPD officers during convenience store robbery in Gardena

On March 7, 2026, at 11:15 p.m., LAPD officers responded to a robbery in progress at a convenience store at 15300 South Figueroa Street in Gardena, California, where they encountered 53-year-old Cynthia Anne Ivie Akers behind the counter. Akers drew a pellet gun on the officers after they issued verbal commands. The incident was captured on bodycam footage and documented by police. Three mainstream media articles covered the event, indicating local news pickup of a police response to armed robbery.