Local Coin Shop Owner, 90, Tied Up and Robbed at Gunpoint

The 90-year-old owner of a coin shop in Sherman Oaks was tied up and robbed by a man at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon, Los Angeles police said.

Burton Doling, longtime owner of at 4343 Van Nuys Blvd., was robbed of an undetermined amount in coins and cash, police said.

"The [robber] walked in, pointed a gun at the owner and took coins and money, but we're not sure how much," said Los Angeles police Detective Glenn O'Shea. "Before taking all the coins and cash, he tied the owner up."

Detectives described the suspect as an African American man, about 30 years old, 6 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing about 300 pounds.

Doling, who detectives said was not injured in the robbery, has been in business at the Van Nuys Boulevard location since 1951. He declined to talk to Sherman Oaks Patch about the robbery.

However, earlier this year in a story about his life, Doling talked about his experience during World War II, in which he was involved in the Normandy invasion.

"I was part of the 97th Division during the invasion of Omaha Beach," Doling told Sherman Oaks Patch in March. "I had to take over after my second lieutenant was wounded. I was the old man of the outfit at the age of 22."