REWARD OFFERED IN HOPES OF CATCHING DEADLY TEAM OF ROBBERS.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Authorities hope a $50,000 reward announced Tuesday will flush out eight people suspected of stealing about $100,000 during at least 100 robberies in the San Fernando Valley - including one in which a restaurant owner was slain.

The suspects - seven men and one woman - are considered armed and dangerous, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

``We have people out there that are terrorizing this community, and we need the public's help in identifying them,'' LAPD Detective Steve Coman said.

During a May 20 robbery at the Thai Cafe, in the 8300 block of Tampa Avenue in Northridge, the owner was shot by bandits and later died, police said.

``What they're primarily focused on is cash - that's what they want,'' Capt. Kyle Jackson said at a news conference. No specific descriptions of the suspects were announced.

``They are involved in robberies involving patrons,'' Jackson said. ``They take wallets. They've taken cell phones. They've taken other property. But they discard anything that has information that is identifiable. They are primarily focused on cash.''

A joint LAPD-FBI task force has had as many as 40 officers and agents investigating the robberies, Jackson said.

On Sept. 30, two FBI agents performing surveillance for the task force in Van Nuys were victims of an attempted carjacking, Jackson said. The agents shot two of the carjackers, killing one of them.

``Those suspects were not the people we were looking for,'' Jackson said.

The reward was offered by the Los Angeles City Council for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the robbers. Anyone knowing more about the case was urged to call police.