See our update at the bottom. First posted at 10:12 p.m. Thursday.

Reports of a robbery and possible hostages at an auto-body shop on Pico Boulevard in Mid-City brought out the LAPD's troops tonight.

It appeared that a SWAT team surrounded the place and brought about a dozen or so people out safely. according to KCAL9. It's not clear if they were being held hostage or were just hiding from the robbers.

LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman told the Weekly it all started …

… about 8:13 in the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard, near Western Avenue, when someone reported a robbery.


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KCAL9 said it was possible that a victim called 911 from inside the shop.

No injuries were reported. Were the bad guys inside, too. It's not yet clear, but it didn't seem like it.

[Update at 1:04 a.m.]: Yep. Police told City News Service that the bad guys were gone when SWAT members stormed the place. The employees were indeed hiding.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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