A man armed with what Los Alamitos Police believe was a semi-automatic pistol robbed the Starbucks at 3575 Katella Ave., at about 4:30 a.m., Friday, March 15.
The armed man reportedly wore a private security jacket.
The police are looking for the suspect and the driver of the getaway car. Both suspects were described as black.
Two employees were in the coffee shop at the time. Neither victim was physically harmed.
Los Alamitos Police Capt. Bruce McAlpine said the department would not release the amount of money taken in the crime.
The suspect, entered the coffee shop and demanded money from the employee who was working behind the counter.
However, the employee couldn’t open the register. According to McAlpine, the suspect then made the employee wak to the back of the shop, where the manager was doing paperwork. The suspect then demanded that the manager open the safe and the registers.
The manager followed the suspect’s directions.
The suspect told the two Starbucks employees to kneel and put the store’s money into a Starbuck’s bag.
The suspect then left the coffee shop and got into a waiting vehicle.
The armed suspect was described as a medium build man, black, in his 20s, approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 175 pounds, wearing a black ski mask and black gloves. He also had brown dreadlocks and was wearing a black security uniform jacket emblazoned with “Officer Private Security” on the front, black pants and shoes.
The second suspect was described as a thin man, black, in his 20s, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, weighting 150 pounds, wearing a dark shirt and light colored pants.
The make and model of the suspects’ car is unknown.
There were 12 robberies reported in Los Alamitos last year, up 140 percent from the five reported in 2011.
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Crime Log Compiled
by Charles M. Kelly
IN SEAL?BEACH
Monday, March 11
Counseling—9:46 a.m.—Fathom Avenue—A citizen received a call from an individual who requested remote access to the citizen’s computer. There was no crime—there was no loss and the suspicious individual did not gain access to the computer. The citizen was advised about telephone, mail and Internet scams.
Tuesday, March 12
Disturbance, Noise—6:43 p.m.—Fathom Avenue—The caller complained about noise coming from a neighbor’s residence. The caller said an individual kept revving his boat engine, which was located in the back yard. Counseled.
Trespassing—11:16 a.m.—Avalon Drive—The caller reported seeing four juveniles jump the gate into the park. Police unit 207 escorted the individuals out of the park. They were interviewed in the field.
Thursday, March 14
Petty Theft—5:43 p.m.—Seal Way—The crime apparently occurred on Tuesday, March 12. No suspect information. Loss: a double stroller valued at $600, which was apparently taken from the side of the residence. Report taken.
Friday, March 15
Hazard—7:07 a.m.—North Gate Road and Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller said a manhole cover was partially sticking up on North Gate. Police unit 106 put the lid back on the sewer hole and requested Public Works check on it because this was apparently an ongoing problem, possibly caused by vehicles dislodging the manhole cover. However, according to the log the manhole was in Leisure World’s jurisdiction and the Seal Beach Public Works Department requested that Leisure World respond. Message delivered.
Saturday, March 16
Trash Digger—2:50 p.m.—Seal Beach Boulevard—The caller reported seeing a man who the caller described as a transient digging through trash in the alley.
Sunday, March
Vehicle Burglary—4:38 p.m.—Lampson Avenue—Point of entry: a key hole punch. However, the log said there was no loss. Report taken.
IN Leisure World
Wednesday, March
Counseling—9:13 a.m.—Del Monte Drive, Mutual Unknown—A Leisure World woman received a call two days ago from an unknown individual requesting a large amount of money and threatening to sue her if she didn’t give them the money. Counseled.
Grand Theft Report—11:09 a.m.—Del Monte Drive, Mutual Unknown—The caller reported the theft of a ring valued at $4,000. The crime apparently occurred on Feb. 14. Report taken.
Petty Theft Report—8:27 p.m.—Northwood Road—The caller, relaying second hand information, reported the loss of a purse. A janitor offered to point out the victim to police. No suspect information. Report taken.
IN LOS?ALAMITOS
Friday, March 15
Disturbance—12:02 p.m.—Cerritos Avenue—When the call came in, the dispatcher heard men yelling in the background. The caller said that a man and their father were in a verbal altercation in the parking lot. The other was walking towards the caller, saying that he was leaving. The man then walked towards Los Alamitos Boulevard. The man left in a white Mercedes and was last seen turning north on Los Alamitos Boulevard. The callers were counseled.
Monday, March 18
Suspicious—11:29 a.m.—Cerritos and Bloomfield—The caller reported a man on a bike going east on Cerritos, with a case slung over his shoulder. The individual was described as 45 years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans. Patrol checked the neighborhoods and both the middle and elementary schools but was unable to locate the man.
Wednesday, March 20
Suspicious—7:39 a.m.—Farnham Avenue—The caller reported seeing a man walk out of someone’s backyard. The suspect walked east, but was not seen at Kaylor, so the caller thought he might have gone into another backyard. The man was described as being in his 30s with a dark blue shirt and plaid shorts. He was later found hiding next to a home and was chased by a resident. Long Beach Police were called in to assist with the search. The LBPD eventually found him and took him.
IN ROSSMOOR
Monday, March 18
Petty Theft Report—3:24 a.m.—Cortese Drive.
Illegal Parked Vehicle—8:59 a.m.—Copa De Oro Drive—The caller said there was an ongoing problem with vehicles parking on the street when the street sweeper comes by on Mondays.
Citizen Assist—10:33 a.m.—Brimhall Drive—The caller reported finding suspicious footprints on the porch.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—4:26 p.m.—St. Cloud Drive and Seal Beach Boulevard—A deputy performed a patrol check for a man who fit the description of a suspect in a Rossmoor area burglary that occurred on Friday, March 17. The suspect was described as a black man in his 40s, 6 feet tall, medium build, wearing a black jacket with white stripes and jeans.
Tuesday, March 19
Disturbance—8:11 a.m.—Weatherby Road—The caller said a homeless man was going through the trash.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—4:28 p.m.—Martha Ann Drive—The caller requested a patrol check for a man wandering around the caller’s front yard and a neighbor’s residence. The caller was concerned for the children who play in the area.
Burglary Report—5:24 p.m.—Foster Road.
Wednesday, March 20
Burglary Report—7:37 a.m.—Coleridge Drive.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—4:57 p.m.—Kenilworth Drive—The caller said her roommate’s car was missing from the garage. The roommate was in the hospital. The caller said other property was also missing from the residence.
Burglary Report—6:08 p.m.—Coleridge Drive—This was a residential burglary.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—8:49 p.m.—Weatherby Road—The caller said a man was soliciting.
Thursday, March 21
Burglary in Progress—12:09 a.m.—Kenilworth Drive—The caller reported what she believed was the sound of someone going through papers in the closet. The caller said she and her mother would wait for a deputy in their car.
Vandalism Report—8:52 a.m.—St. Albans Drive—The caller reported damage to a pool.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—1:41 p.m.—Angler Lane—The caller said a woman had been walking back and forth in front of his home for 30 minutes and she wouldn’t respond to him.
Disturbance—6:38 p.m.—Mainway Drive—The caller reported a verbal dispute between herself and a man in a work truck over the man moving her trash cans to the park. She said the man moved his vehicle toward her as she stood in the street. The dispatcher heard a heated argument in the background.
Friday, March 22
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—12:38 p.m.—Yellowtail Drive—The caller said an individual was carrying a stack of yellow flyers, but didn’t appear to be going door to door.
Saturday, March 23
Unknown Trouble—11:33 a.m.—Wembley Road.
Suspicious Person or Circumstances—2:51 p.m.—Los Alamitos Boulevard.
Disturbance, Music or Party—10:14 p.m.—Montecito Road.
Ted Apodaca of the News-Enterprise contributed to this article.
