Deputy shot at Alhambra Jack In The Box while getting food

ALHAMBRA, Calif. (FOX 11) - An off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was rushed to the hospital Monday evening after reportedly being shot at a fast food restaurant in Alhambra.

Sheriff's officials provided a news briefing Monday night.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5:30 p.m. at the Jack In The Box near the intersection of Fremont Avenue and Valley Boulevard.

The deputy, a 13-year veteran of the department, was shot in the head and is in critical condition, according to Sheriff's officials.

The gunman remains at large. The suspect was described as either a white or Hispanic male adult in his 20s, about 5-feet 9-inches to 5-feet 11-inches tall, and was wearing a light-colored fedora hat, sunglasses, a burgundy button-down short-sleeved shirt, slim fitting blue jeans, and armed with a handgun at the time of the shooting.

He was seen driving northbound on Fremont Avenue in a 2006 Kia Sportage or Sorento 4-door SUV with paper license plates.

Sheriff's Officials believe the suspect drove to a neighborhood just before 6 p.m. and changed his clothes into a black t-shirt and dark-colored jeans, and took off the hat and sunglasses before leaving the neighborhood in that Kia SUV.

The shooting was caught on surveillance video. Officials said the video has no sound but it shows the deputy entering the Jack in the Box, ordering food, and then waiting at the counter for his order when the suspect approached him and shot him in the head as several people witnessed the incident.

Those witnesses were interviewed by investigators.

There doesn't appear to be a motive for the attack at this time, according to Sheriff's officials who said the deputy was not dressed in uniform at the time.

"Nothing overtly that would indicate he was a law enforcement officer. He was off duty," said LASD Homicide Captain Kent Wegener.

The name of the deputy has not been released at this time. Authorities did not immediately release additional information. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call LA Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.