Subject: Robbery

• Far ahead of the Times (Miscarriage of Justice edition)

  Only one year after R. Scott Moxley broke the story of the railroading of an innocent man, James Ochoa, by the Orange County DA's office, eleven months after the conviction of Ochoa on the basis of evidence that didn't point to him and a confession coerced by the unprofessional behavior of an OC judge, and one week after he was set free because the evidence of innocence was such that even the OC DA's office could no longer ignore it, the Los Angeles Times prints a decent story on the case James

  November 2, 2006

• Shoot me once...

  A Buena Park man who was shot in the head last August during a robbery at the liquor store he worked at was pistol-whipped until he was unconscious during a holdup at the same store Wednesday morning. Mote Malhaus was working behind the counter at Sunshine Market and Liquor when two men in hooded sweat shirts walked in, jumped over the counter, put Malhaus in a choke hold and clocked him over the head with a gun repeatedly, The Orange County Register reported. The Weekly placed a call to the

  June 5, 2007

• 17th Time ain't a charm

  This morning, we noted that the man known as the "Irreconcilable Differences" bandit robbed his 16th bank out in Newport Beach. Now, CBS reports that a guy who matched his description was arrested in Glendale shortly after robbing a Wells Fargo. They got him in the parking lot of the local McDonald's. Some background info: "He got his nickname from his first bank robbery on Dec. 22 in Beverly Hills, when he told a teller he was going through a divorce and needed help wiring money, requesting

  June 5, 2007

• Monday's Headlines. No Surprises.

  Multimedia presentation of the weekend: If you haven't already seen it, check out the LA Times' Marlboro Marine multimedia extravaganza. It's a pretty amazing blend of video, audio and Times photographer Luis Sinco's thoughtful stills. Sinco, apparently also a pretty good writer, pens two accompanying print pieces detailing his relationship with James Blake Miller, a marine he photographed during the battle of Fallouja in November 2004. The shot (pictured) made Miller an icon of the war and for

  November 12, 2007

• Wake Up And Suck The Orange 1.22.08

  What you get to read this morning: SOBER-LIVING HOME DEBATE: LA Times - Balboa Peninsula's plethora of sober-living homes faces the wrath of the Newport Beach City Council as well as the Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach. One wonders whether these Citizens are related to the Cannery Village Concerned, who tried to have the Newport Brewing Company closed because (eek) it was a bar! Welcome to the peninsula, douchebags. WATER POLO GONE WILD: OC Register - Photos of OC high-school water-polo pl

  January 22, 2008

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week, Part II

  From the indomitable Dave Barry: ...a man armed with a knife held up a Taco Bell and got $2,300. The robber wore a ski mask to disguise his identity. This plan would have worked flawlessly, except that, during the robbery, the robber made one teensy mistake: He pulled one of the Taco Bell workers aside, lifted his mask and said, "It's me, Tim." Yes. It turns out that the robber used to work at this Taco Bell, and he chose that particular moment to say hi to a former co-worker.

  October 15, 2008

• Youre Guilty

  July 19, 2001

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week, Part IV

  From Orlando... Police were investigating a Taco Bell robbery that happened Wednesday night and quickly realized that they were dealing with a crime spree. Investigators said three to four armed men robbed a Taco Bell on Narcoosee Road and then attacked two workers before they ran off. When officers arrived they learned the Burger King next door had also been robbed by the same group.

  October 31, 2008

• Fergie's Prom Date Headed for the Slammer

  Gossip-mongering TMZ.com breaks the story that an Orange County jury today convicted Vincent Dean Malicek on one count of armed bank robbery for a September heist at a Wells Fargo Bank in Santa Ana.   What's that? You've never heard of a celebrity named Vincent Dean Malicek? That's because he isn't. But he was pop tart Fergie's prom date way back when. Now he'll get to replay that magical evening over and over again as he serves up to 98 months behind bars.   Kudo's to TMZ for th

  December 10, 2008

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week!

  You know times are tough when Taco Bell employees fake their own holdup. From Fargo...An employee of a Fargo Taco Bell that was robbed at gunpoint last week has been charged in Cass County District Court with conspiring to rob the store.Michael Vincent Wanzek, 20, made an initial appearance on the felony charge Tuesday. He is accused of agreeing with one or more persons to engage in the robbery at 1001 1st Ave. N. on Jan. 13. function photoFull (URL) { day = new Date(); id = day.getTime(); eval

  January 22, 2009

• Fullerton's Roman Alexander & the Robbery Break and Enter the Local Scene

  April 2, 2009

• The Assassination of Sheriff James Barton by the Mexican Juan Flores

  January 8, 2009

• Bad Rap, Vol. II

  April 5, 2001

• The Homecoming

  August 10, 2006

• Thowing Rocks at Cars

  July 20, 2006

• Finding Jesus in the OC Jail

  April 6, 2006

• There Once Was a Judge From Nantucket

  December 22, 2005

• The Case of the Dog That Couldn't Sniff Straight

  November 3, 2005

• Monsters Garage

  November 18, 2004

• The Second-Chance Motel

  April 11, 2002

• How I Became an Informant for the Newport Beach PD

  January 17, 2002

• Let Lopez Go

  August 23, 2001

• Two Down, One to Go

  July 26, 2001

• Bad Rap, Vol. III

  June 28, 2001

• Finally!

  May 17, 2001

• DA: Please Call This Guy!

  April 12, 2001

• 99 Percent Certain

  March 22, 2001

• Bad Rap

  March 15, 2001

• Letters

  March 15, 2001

• Going Ballistic

  March 15, 2001

• The Kid is Free!

  August 31, 2000

• The Kid Is Innocent

  September 23, 1999

• Danas Point

  May 27, 1999

• Public's Help Sought in Nabbing the 'Hazmat Bandit'

  The Orange County Bank Robbery Task Force is seeking the public's help in identifying an armed bank robber authorities have dubbed the "Hazmat Bandit" due to his attire: a white painter's jumpsuit, a white hat, boots and sunglasses.The unidentified man--described as white, in his fifties, with long blonde hair which may have been a wig, and with a height of approximately 6 feet to 6-feet-2--has pulled off two heists, according to the FBI.He entered the Laguna Niguel Wachovia branch on March 17 a

  April 20, 2009

• Anaheim PD Says It Has "Clean-Cut/Clean-Freak Bandit"

  For Navel Gazing's inaugural Crime Time collection of weekly police calls (don't miss the thrilling follow-up and more in weeks to come), we gave prominent placement to the photo you see here. It's a man robbing a Chase Bank branch in Fullerton on June 4 and, according to Johnny Law, the "Clean-cut Bandit" responsible for multiple heists around the county.Given his nickname because of his clean-shaven appearance, the robber's last job was around 2 p.m. June 6 at the Bank of America at 401 N. Har

  June 18, 2009

• Crime Time: Move Over, Trendzilla!

  The must-have fashion accessory of the season for robbers in Irvine and San Juan Capistrano.It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of Orange County police calls . . . TUESDAY, JUNE 16Forest Firebug is a Pot Farm Exposer to Boot: Seven fires were ignited within a short distance of each other in Trabuco Canyon. A serial firebug may be responsible as four other fires had been lit in the same general area of Cleveland National Forest over the past four weeks. The latest led to a brush fire that brought o

  June 23, 2009

• Crime Time: Spot This Week's Celebrity Victim!

  Hey, juvies, it's our weekly Weekly round-up of Orange County police calls . . .MONDAY, JUNE 29 The pre-vandalized Scott BorasAnyone Fitting the Description of a Major League Baseball Team Owner Spotted Outside Before the Crime? The windows of super-agent Scott Boras' Land Rover were vandalized while he was inside Bandera restaurant in Corona del Mar this evening. The vehicle reportedly sustained damage totalling $2,000--equal to about what Manny Ramirez earns every time he inhales. TUESDAY, JUN

  July 7, 2009

• Crime Time: Small Fries, Bad Tenants and the Church Lady

  It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--small fry edition . . . MONDAY, JULY 20Artist's rendering of Bank of America robber. He may belong to that notorious street gang, the Lollipop Kids.​Watch Those Kids at the Playground A 3-year-old boy was at the playground in Ponderosa Park in the 2100 block of South Haster Street, Anaheim, with his 11-year-old sister and 12-year-old cousin, their moms keeping an eye on them. As the littlest one slid down the slide around 10:30 a.m., a m

  July 28, 2009

• Crime Time: Stabbings, Curfews, Drunk Marines, Drunk Councilman and Van's a-Rockin'

  It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--now with more stabbings and [alleged] drunken-driving politicians . . . Courtesy Orange County Sheriff's DepartmentKnew those Trader Joe's bags were good for something . . .​MONDAY, JULY 27Cash and Carry A man walked up with a Trader Joe's bag in hand to a teller at the Wells Fargo branch near Alicia Parkway and Charlinda Drive in Mission Viejo around 12:45 p.m. He asked for and received cash before walking out. Surveillance cameras reve

  August 4, 2009

• Crime Time: Nekkid Folks, Robber Baby, Strip-Club Stabbers, Loaded Brownie and a Flaming Bag of Poo

  Courtesy of Orange Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's DepartmentWe call this collage "Robberies, Solved and Unsolved." Top left: a man hands a teller a note demanding cash at Chase Bank in Orange. Top right: Booking photo of Adam J. Bennett, 20, of Santa Ana, who is suspected of robbing $700 from a Mission Viejo Wells Fargo on July 27. Bottom left and right: Surveillance photos from armed robbery that occurred around 9:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Orange Olive Mini Market in Orange. ​It'

  August 18, 2009

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week!

  ​What deranged criminal would call in a fake 911 call claiming a fake shooting at a Taco Bell so their pal could rob a Wendy's? It happened in Florida: Altamonte Springs authorities say a woman called 911 early Sunday about a fictional shooting at a Taco Bell to distract officials as a male accomplice armed with a BB gun robbed a Wendy's restaurant at 2200 W. State Road 434. Authorities executed a search warrant at a Lake Mary apartment on Sunday and arrested two people: Mary D. Nobles, 29,

  August 31, 2009

• Crime Time: Fight Clubs, Stray Bullets, Car Bashings, Cop Gun Theft, 4 Jewelry Heists

    Jewelry heist fever spreads across Orange CountyIt's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--now with more street fights, bullets flying, dudes getting jumped, cops losing service revolvers and jewelry heists in towns with "Laguna" in the name across the county.   The FBI says this man--Robin Lam, 28, of Rancho Santa Margarita--sent several sexually explicit text messages to a 15-year-old girl and arranged to meet her at a Mission Viejo parking lot. They

  September 1, 2009

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week!

  ​What's really the bigger crime here: the robbery, the Taco Bell in West Virginia, or a man named Brenya? From West Virginia: A Charleston man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing a Taco Bell manager of more than $4,000 as he was on his way to make a bank deposit. Brenya Beverly, 23, pleaded guilty in July to a charge of first-degree robbery, but told a probation officer that he did not commit the crime. Beverly was a former employee of the Patrick Street Taco Bell restaur

  September 14, 2009

• Crime Time: An Especially San Clemente/ Huntington Beach Edition

  It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--with an especially heavy emphasis on San Clemente and Huntington Beach. MONDAY, OCT. 5 He died for your remote. Who's the Patron Saint of Stupidity Again? A 50-inch Viso plasma TV was stolen out of the beer tent erected for the weekend Fall Festival at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church, 20444 Magnolia St., Huntington Beach, some time before 3:30 a.m. What's more disturbing: the crime, leaving a plasma unattended in a tent overnig

  October 13, 2009

• Crime Time: Ho' Attacker, Hammer Head, Bushman Packing Heat, Monkey Off the Market and Ryan Seacrest

  It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--now with more ho' attackers, hammer heads, short robbers, skateboarding nazis, bloody bandagers, bushmen packing heat, baseball bat-wielding robbers, monkeys that are not for sale and Ryan Seacrest.Center photo by Melinda Nagy/Dreamstime.comBE TRUE TO YOUR CRIME-RIDDEN SCHOOL: Ah, a new school year is upon us. And so is schoolyard mayhem. A former security officer at Irvine's Beckman High School (top left) has been charged with two felony

  September 22, 2009

• $3 Million Emerald Arrives at Height of Jewelry Heist Season

  Palagems.comEl Itoco: object of desire.​In a small room near the front desk of the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana rests El Itoco, a 472-carat emerald crystal that is considered one of the finest in the world and valued and is valued at more than $3 million.The emerald that was dug up from black shale in Colombia in 2008 is scheduled to remain on display at Bowers through early December. Museum president Peter Keller was tight-lipped when asked by the Orange County Register about security, saying,

  September 17, 2009

• Crime Time: Double the Fun Starring [Alleged] Skeevy Teachers, Fake Cop Robbers and Ryan Seacrest's Strange Stalker

  It's the Weekly's weekly round-up of local police calls--actually the Weekly's TWO weekly round-up as an attempt is made to make up for lost vacation time.Left courtesy of E! Entertainment, right courtesy of Orange Police DepartmentRyan Seacrest (left) gets paid another visit from his No. 1 Army special forces fan, Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr.​SEACREST OUT, UZOMAH BACK IN Remember Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr., the 25-year-old Lakewood resident who pleaded guilty last month in Orange County Superior

  November 4, 2009

• Crime Time: Creepy Toys, Slick Bank Robbers, Egged On Victims, Dog-Beating Dipshits and At Least [Alleged] Criminals Still Read Newspapers

  It's the Weekly's weekly roundup of local police calls and assorted mayhem.MONDAY, NOV. 2". . . and I don't like you!" ​"I'm Talking Tina . . . and Things Are Going to Be Different Around Here" A woman called 9-1-1 around 3:45 in the morning to say she heard a baby toy go off downstairs in her home in the 26800 block of Moore Oaks Road in Laguna Hills even though no one else was supposed to be down there. She wanted deputies to come by and make sure everything was safe. Set your tasers to stun

  November 10, 2009

• Taco Bell Crime of the Week!

  ​Finally, something happening in Augusta, Georgia other than discrimination at the Masters:Richmond County authorities are investigating two armed robberies that occurred about the same time Saturday night. In the first, a man with a gun robbed Taco Bell at 3222 Wrightsboro Road about 9:20 p.m., according to a Richmond County sheriff's report. The robber walked in while talking on a cellular phone, and he continued to hold the phone to his head as he ordered his food. When an employee opened a

  November 15, 2009

• Indictment: Jewelry Store Robberies Lead to Wider Crime Ring

  ​Alonso Jose Lopez, a 31-year-old resident of Vista in San Diego County, got Navel Gazing mentions here and here, but he'd no doubt prefer those over the his latest mention: in an Orange County grand jury indictment unsealed today that identifies him as one of nine San Diego criminal street gang members who are among 11 people charged in a recent crime spree in Tustin, Laguna Beach and San Diego County.

  November 16, 2009