00:00While California is usually known for its glitz and glamour, it would be the main stage
00:15of one of the most jarring criminal incidents in modern history.
00:19Two heavily armed bank robbers would leave the nation shocked as their heist was broadcasted
00:24on live television.
00:26They wreaked havoc on the streets of North Hollywood with no regard for human life.
00:31Let's take a look back at the horrifying story and find out what actually happened.
00:37Emil Manuserenu and his partner in crime Larry Phillips Jr. were both very highly intelligent
00:43men with a common goal.
00:46The two first crossed paths while training in a local California Gold's gym.
00:51Both had an unhealthy interest in bodybuilding and they would spark up friendship with one
00:55another.
00:57Over the years, they both faced some financial struggles.
01:01And they soon would embark on pursuing a life of crime to make some fast funds.
01:07Phillips Jr. was a supreme planner and had a history of elaborate schemes.
01:12Manuserenu had an extensive knowledge of weaponry.
01:16The duo would combine their unique talents and travel to Colorado for their first attempt
01:20at an armed robbery.
01:23The two successfully pulled off a heist on a first bank armored vehicle.
01:27The men made away with thousands of dollars after the incident.
01:32While they did get away scot-free from this particular crime, a few months later in California
01:37after laying low for a short while, they would be pulled over for speeding in a stolen car
01:43with several weapons in their possession.
01:46The local police were unable to link them to the crime that took place months earlier
01:50in Colorado.
01:52But due to the obscene amount of weaponry and the rather questionable items in their possession,
01:58they were both charged with grand theft auto and a conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
02:03They were sentenced to three months of incarceration and three years of probation.
02:08But once released, their crime journey continued despite the minor setback, Manuserenu and Phillips
02:16decided to start targeting banks in the Los Angeles area.
02:21After some careful planning, within the span of a couple of months, they would successfully
02:27rob two Bank of America branches in California.
02:31They wielded fully automatic weapons, the pair dressed in heavy body armor with their face covered,
02:38and they easily were able to intimidate the employees to obey their commands.
02:43The two strategically kept the heist under eight minutes to avoid law enforcement responders.
02:49From both robberies, they walked away with approximately $1.5 million in cash.
02:55No one was killed in either of the heist, but multiple tellers were injured in the incidents.
03:01After staying under the radar for the next few months, the pair were highly confident in
03:05their criminal capabilities.
03:08The two men started planning another robbery for what would be their biggest score thus far.
03:13They began casing another Bank of America, located in the heavily populated North Hollywood area.
03:20It was much riskier than previous robberies, as it was a bigger branch, on a major street.
03:26They monitored the routines of the police patrol and fully memorized the bank's layout.
03:32The morning had arrived when Manuserenu and Philips would carry out the heist.
03:38Before exiting their vehicle, they took a few prescription pills to calm their nerves.
03:43Heavily armed in broad daylight with ski mask on, they made their way to the front entrance
03:48of the bank.
03:49A police unit nearby spotted them, and called in a 2-11 over their radio.
03:55Immediately after entering the bank, the men fired multiple rounds in the ceiling to get
04:04everyone's attention.
04:07They had no resistance from the bank staff or their customers.
04:11The manager of the bank promptly followed their commands and opened the bank vault.
04:17Extremely frightened, the elderly man filled their duffel bags without hesitation.
04:22The vault contained significantly less than the $750,000 the gunman expected.
04:29The pair locked all the hostages in the vault.
04:32And they made their exit, with a few bags holding around $300,000 in cash.
04:38While they were inside, multiple North Hollywood Division patrol units had already arrived on
04:44the scene.
04:46The police had taken strategic positions surrounding the bank.
04:50Philips would be the first to spot the officers, and a dramatic shootout began.
04:55Manuserenu would follow suit and spray rounds alongside his partner in crime.
05:01The police were extremely outgunned in the encounter.
05:05They were only equipped with standard-issued handguns and shotguns.
05:09Many officers didn't have bulletproof vest, which made things even more troublesome.
05:15The deranged gunman managed to shoot several officers with their AK-47s.
05:20Soon the local news would catch wind of the breaking story, and send camera crews out.
05:26The body armor worn by Philips and Manuserenu were impenetrable.
05:31They would take several gunshots, and appear to be unfazed.
05:36Their Kevlar body armor was homemade, thoroughly planned out and specifically designed for supreme
05:41protection.
05:42The police were forced to quickly retreat as the armor-piercing rounds were just too much
05:46to deal with.
05:49After several minutes of having their way with local law enforcement, Manuserenu climbed
05:54into the car, as Philips would cover him with automatic gunfire.
05:59As they exited the parking lot and entered the residential area next to the bank, Philips
06:05opted to remain outside the vehicle as they wanted to avoid a high-speed police chase.
06:09More and more gunfire would be directed their way as Philips was the only one firing.
06:16The two would eventually separate.
06:19While Manuserenu wanted to make a run for it after the shootout, Philips had other plans,
06:25and decided to trade gunfire with the surrounding officers.
06:29He was now alone taking on the police by himself.
06:33He was struck several more times by the officers scattered along the street.
06:38When his automatic weapon jammed, he then switched to a semi-automatic handgun.
06:44Alone and having no way out, and now being the one outgunned he fatally shot himself.
06:50All focus then would be shifted to his partner in crime.
06:54Emil continued on for a few more blocks down the residential road.
06:59The getaway car started to fail after taking so much damage.
07:03He then attempted to carjack a truck that was traveling toward his direction.
07:08The car owner decided to abandon his truck to get to safety.
07:13Manuserenu then began to casually transfer his weapons and ammunition over to the new vehicle,
07:19but he was unable to get the car started, which resulted in another standoff with the police.
07:24The Los Angeles SWAT team had finally arrived on the scene.
07:29They used their technical skills and directed their shots toward Manuserenu's unprotected
07:34lower body.
07:36This would drop the lone gunman to his knees and force him to surrender.
07:41But due to the excessive blood loss from the shots taken in his legs, Manuserenu would
07:46later die waiting for medical assistance to arrive at the scene.
07:51While no officers or civilians were killed, 20 people were left injured after the incident.
07:58What do you think about this story?
08:01Leave a comment below and let me know.
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