2 Masked Men Sought In Armed Robbery Spree At OC Hotels
IRVINE (CBSLA) – Authorities are looking for two suspects believed to be responsible for committing a series of gunpoint robberies across Orange County, hitting at least four hotels and a convenience store over the past two weeks in Irvine and Santa Ana.
The robberies began March 1, with the two latest incidents occurring Wednesday night, Irvine police report.
At around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, an armed man in a mask entered the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott Hotel located at 8 MacArthur Place, and demanded cash, Santa Ana police confirmed. He then fled on foot.
Then, at around 11 p.m., a man in a ski mask brandishing a silver handgun entered a 7-Eleven at 8693 Irvine Center Dr. When the clerk refused his demand for cash, he fled empty-handed, Irvine police said.
The other robberies with similar modus operandi occurred at:
-- March 1: The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel located at 90 Pacifica.
-- March 11: The Marriott Irvine Spectrum at 7905 Irvine Center Dr.
-- March 11: La Quinta Inn at 14972 Sand Canyon Ave.
Surveillance photos of the men have been released. The suspect in the 7-Eleven robbery attempt was described as 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-7 and weighing 130 to 160 pounds. He wore a white T-shirt with a black long-sleeve shirt underneath and concealed his face with a ski mask.
The second suspect is described as 5-foot-9 and weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a black windbreaker jacket, an orange beanie and ski goggles.
It's unclear if any other robberies have been linked to the men. Anyone with information on the case should call the Irvine police tip line at 949-724-7394.