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Robbers hold janitors at gunpoint at Stanford's restaurant in Lake Oswego

Three armed men wearing ski masks and gloves forced a three person cleaning crew into a storage room.

Three armed men wearing ski masks and gloves forced a three-person cleaning crew into a storage room early Sunday morning at Stanford's Restaurant and Bar before making off with a safe and liquor, according to Lake Oswego police.

The suspects remain at large.

A worker came out of the restaurant about 4 a.m. when a man with a gun popped out of the bushes, said Lt. Darryl Wrisley.

“It does appear that this was planned,” he said. "They were waiting in the bushes until one of the cleaning crew came out to her car at which point they took her at gunpoint.”

A second robber had a shotgun.

The trio forced the woman back inside and demanded she open the office. She told them she was unable to do that. The men then forced the three workers into a storage room and took their cellphones to prevent them from calling police.

The suspects then broke into the office and stole a safe along with liquor off the shelves.

Police said that the cleaning crew members were not physically injured. They were eventually able to escape the storage room after the suspects left and run to a nearby gas station to call 911.

Police searched the area with K-9 units with no results. The only description for the suspects is three men in their 30s. Surveillance videos from nearby businesses were being scrutinized 

Lt. Wrisley said armed suspects confronting workers is unusual for the area. 

“I'm not aware of any serious issues there in quite some time, actually, ever,” he said. “We've had car break-ins off and on but nothing worse than that that I'm aware of.”

KGW spoke with a Lake Oswego man who said it is unsettling to learn something like this could happen there. 

“I've lived all over the Portland metro area but Lake Oswego has always been the safest,” said Chris Knight. “It's kind of a surprise to hear that kind of activity, you know, breaking into a place and putting people in lockdown, it's crazy.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call 503-635-0238.

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