BRIEFLY.

PALMDALE - Sheriff's deputies searched Monday for a man who robbed a supermarket at gunpoint.

The man robbed the customer service window of an Albertson's supermarket at 38727 Tierra Subida Ave. shortly after 6:30 a.m. Monday, leaving with an undisclosed amount of money in a brown paper bag.

``He indicated that he had a gun of some kind,'' Palmdale Sheriff's Deputy Paul Ullman said.

The robber was described as a white man about 40 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds, with long red hair, a beard and a mustache, officials said. He was seen leaving the store in a large, red sedan.

- Daily News

3 women arrested in theft of meats

LANCASTER - Three women were arrested on suspicion of stealing food from three grocery stores after a deputy stopped their car for a traffic violation and noticed the driver had packages of meat stuffed under her shirt.

Deputies said an investigation showed that the meat and other items had been stolen from the Food-4-Less store on Valley Central Way, from the Albertson's store on Avenue J at 10th Street East and from a Von's store on Avenue J at 20th Street East.

The women were driving through the Food-4-Less parking lot when they were stopped Sunday afternoon by Deputy Steve Owen, who was working on a holiday patrol of shopping centers, officials said.

All three women were booked on suspicion of burglary, a more serious charge than shoplifting, indicating that they entered the stores intending to steal, deputies said. The driver was also booked on suspicion of driving on a suspended license and possession of narcotics paraphernalia. Another woman was charged with violating her parole.

- Daily News