A South Los Angeles man was arrested Wednesday in a series of armed robberies in parking lots in Los Angeles and Orange counties, most notably at shopping centers in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.
Twenty-one-year-old Oshae Pollard from the Manchester Square neighborhood in Los Angeles is charged with interference with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm to further a crime. If convicted of all charges, Pollard would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to prosecutors, Pollard targeted victims in parking lots where he robbed or attempted to rob at least four people. The crimes range from Aug. 25 to Sept. 22.
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On Aug. 26, Pollard and an accomplice approached two victims standing near their Rolls-Royce SUV and Ferrari in the parking lot of Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, according to the complaint.
Pollard pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the victim next to the Rolls-Royce and demanded all the victim’s cash, authorities said. The victim handed over a luxury watch, a wallet, and the keys to the Rolls-Royce.
When the other victim started the Ferrari and attempted to drive away, Pollard ran to the driver’s door of the Ferrari and fired one round from his pistol into the car, according to the complaint.
The bullet missed the victim. The victim drove to a nearby gas station and asked the gas station clerk to call police, who later recovered the one 9mm shell casing from the scene.
Prosecutors said the total value of the items stolen was approximately $44,000.
During the fourth and final robbery, Pollard allegedly approached a victim who was entering his car parked in the parking lot of the South Coast Plaza shopping mall in Costa Mesa and demanded, “Give me the watch. Give me the ring. Give me the car.”
He later threatened to shoot the victim, according to the affidavit. When the victim didn’t comply, Pollard shot the victim in the left hand, then pointed his pistol at the victim’s chest and said, “You’re a dead man,” the complaint said.
Pollard then shot the victim in the left thigh as the victim began to remove his watch, authorities said. The victim then kicked Pollard, who fell to the ground, in a struggle that went on for about 15 seconds.
Pollard ran to a Kia Forte and fled the scene.
The victim survived the gunshot wounds.
“These are crimes of violence that not only terrorize the intended targets, but our community as a whole, making shoppers think twice about whether a trip to the mall will erupt in gunfire,” said Kimberly Edds, Director of Public Affairs for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
An initial court date has not been assigned yet. It was not immediately clear whether Pollard has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
