Neighborhood Hero: 90-Year-Old Robbery Victim

Ninety-year-old Burton Doling, whose coin shop on Van Nuys Boulevard was robbed two weeks ago by an armed gunman, has become something of a neighborhood hero in Sherman Oaks.

"He's a very heroic man to continue in business at his age," said Berge Ouzounian, owner of the watch shop, around the corner from , 4343 Van Nuys Blvd.

"That robbery is the talk of the town," said Sherman Oaks resident Doug Bruckner.

"It's a bloody disgrace, not just the robbery, but did he have to be tied up and left on the floor? Was he really a threat to that huge robber?" said Rosina Jacob, whose store Travel Portfolio is several doors down from Doling's coin shop, which has been in Sherman Oaks since 1951.

The gunman, whom Doling referred to as a "giant," was described as being 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighing about 300 pounds, according to Detective Glenn O'Shea of the Los Angeles Police Department. The man was African American, about age 35, clean-shaven with a muscular build, detectives said. A composite sketch of the gunman has been released by investigators.

Before helping himself to a large quantity of gold coins, Doling said, the robber tied him up using duct tape.

 "The tape was so tight you can still see the mark," said Doling. "It took me about a half-hour after he left the shop to get myself untied." The black and blue welt on his left arm was visible above the elbow.

The man was armed with a black .38 revolver. After pulling out the gun he reportedly said to Doling, "I see you don't have an internal camera. If you had one, I would have to kill you."

News coverage of the robbery was widespread, and Doling has received responses from across the country.

"I've received calls from people on the East Coast who heard about it," Doling said. "Many people have knocked on my door and asked how I'm feeling."

"He's fortunate to be alive," Ouzounian said.

"He's a brave man to be still working," said Bestime customer Laura Aved.

Earlier this year in a story about his life, Doling talked about his experiences 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."

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call O'Shea or Detective Flores at 818-374-0079.