Robbery in Irvine

BK, you don't think this is a serious crime:



What: Petty theft

Where: 4500 block Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA

When: 2:32 p.m. Saturday, September 19, 2009

Description: A $300 straw hat was missing from a car that went through a car wash



Someone could get skin cancer from not wearing a hat and the thief could be changed with involuntary manslaughter.



Using Google, I can pretty much figure out just which car wash that is without them listing the cross street.
 
[quote author="ABC123" date=1253777085]BK, you don't think this is a serious crime:



What: Petty theft

Where: 4500 block Barranca Parkway Irvine, CA

When: 2:32 p.m. Saturday, September 19, 2009

Description: A $300 straw hat was missing from a car that went through a car wash



Someone could get skin cancer from not wearing a hat and the thief could be changed with involuntary manslaughter.



Using Google, I can pretty much figure out just which car wash that is without them listing the cross street.</blockquote>


Those damn Santa Ana Mexicans working at an Irvine Car Wash by Culver and Michelson are the thieves who stole the Prada sombrero.
 
OC Register Crime Blotter



What: Shame

Where: 120 Turtle Crest, Turtle Rock, Irvine, CA

When: 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Description: A resident reported her child is attending a community college instead of a 4-year university. HOA investigating possible violation of CC&R's.
 
[quote author="acpme" date=1253852123]OC Register Crime Blotter



What: Shame

Where: 120 Turtle Crest, Turtle Rock, Irvine, CA

When: 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Description: A resident reported her child is attending a community college instead of a 4-year university. HOA investigating possible violation of CC&R's.</blockquote>


I knew those crime reports in the Register couldn't be accurate. Turtle Crest is in Turtle Ridge not Turtle Rock.
 
I got the update today when I was finally able to buy my son's jammer. The lady at the store said, "I wished you would have been here 3 minutes earlier". I really don't, but she seemed to think that the guy wouldn't have pulled a gun on her if someone else was in the store at the same time. The police told her that it is the first robbery in the complex ever but everyone should expect more of the same as people get more desperate in this economy. She will never again work alone in the store. The police have no leads and no suspects. He got away with a whopping $400.
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1254311113]I got the update today when I was finally able to buy my son's jammer. The lady at the store said, "I wished you would have been here 3 minutes earlier". I really don't, but she seemed to think that the guy wouldn't have pulled a gun on her if someone else was in the store at the same time. The police told her that it is the first robbery in the complex ever but everyone should expect more of the same as people get more desperate in this economy. She will never again work alone in the store. The police have no leads and no suspects. He got away with a whopping $400.</blockquote>


I need to change career. $400 for 15 minutes work, that's not bad :)
 
[quote author="Stuff It" date=1254312222][quote author="tmare" date=1254311113]I got the update today when I was finally able to buy my son's jammer. The lady at the store said, "I wished you would have been here 3 minutes earlier". I really don't, but she seemed to think that the guy wouldn't have pulled a gun on her if someone else was in the store at the same time. The police told her that it is the first robbery in the complex ever but everyone should expect more of the same as people get more desperate in this economy. She will never again work alone in the store. The police have no leads and no suspects. He got away with a whopping $400.</blockquote>


I need to change career. $400 for 15 minutes work, that's not bad :)</blockquote>


Getting possible face full of hot lead... no so great. If you're going to go back, go white collar crime! Sheesh, didn't anybody tell you that?
 
During the recession crime rate increase in general. For every one incident in Irvine other cities will experience 1 or more. Irvine's sudden increase in crime will still placed it among the safest city because other city contenders are likely to experience their share of crime as well.



I would not hesitate to jog outside at night in Irvine and not constantly watch over my shoulder. It is really a very safe place.



I like to share a story about a classmate that I did not admire in high school. He was a really smart kid and got all A's. He was not satisfied until he got mostly A+ but he cheated to get to the top. I like the kid for his smart but hated his tactic to become the best.



Translate that to IPD and I hope you all would understand why I felt that way.
 
So I finally checked this out because logistic-wise, this is probably the worse place to commit a robbery:



1. It's right next door to Peet's Coffee house which always has people there which means a more likelihood of witnesses.

2. It's not that close to a freeway for a fast getaway.

3. Are aquatic clothing stores known for having huge amounts of cash?



I am really surprised this place got robbed. Maybe because it doesn't have a lot of people in the store made it a good target because there is probably more cash in the till at GameStop, Yogurt Passion or Peet's. Not to mention you can probably grab a couple of game consoles from GameStop that's worth more than $400 (although GS probably has security cameras).



I can probably think of half a dozen other stores in Irvine that would make better small robbery targets... luckily I'm not inclined towards a life of crime (but at least I know where to get an icicle gun if I need one).
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1254873973]So I finally checked this out because logistic-wise, this is probably the worse place to commit a robbery:



1. It's right next door to Peet's Coffee house which always has people there which means a more likelihood of witnesses.

2. It's not that close to a freeway for a fast getaway.

3. Are aquatic clothing stores known for having huge amounts of cash?



I am really surprised this place got robbed. Maybe because it doesn't have a lot of people in the store made it a good target because there is probably more cash in the till at GameStop, Yogurt Passion or Peet's. Not to mention you can probably grab a couple of game consoles from GameStop that's worth more than $400 (although GS probably has security cameras).



I can probably think of half a dozen other stores in Irvine that would make better small robbery targets... luckily I'm not inclined towards a life of crime (but at least I know where to get an icicle gun if I need one).</blockquote>


Maybe they were hoping to get away with some hard-to-find aquatics items, like the jammer tmare was planning to buy.
 
[quote author="irvine_home_owner" date=1254873973]So I finally checked this out because logistic-wise, this is probably the worse place to commit a robbery:



1. It's right next door to Peet's Coffee house which always has people there which means a more likelihood of witnesses.

2. It's not that close to a freeway for a fast getaway.

3. Are aquatic clothing stores known for having huge amounts of cash?



I am really surprised this place got robbed. Maybe because it doesn't have a lot of people in the store made it a good target because there is probably more cash in the till at GameStop, Yogurt Passion or Peet's. Not to mention you can probably grab a couple of game consoles from GameStop that's worth more than $400 (although GS probably has security cameras).



I can probably think of half a dozen other stores in Irvine that would make better small robbery targets... luckily I'm not inclined towards a life of crime (but at least I know where to get an icicle gun if I need one).</blockquote>


The woman in the store believes that it was because she was alone. She never will be again. I guess all it takes is one person working in a very quiet store to entice a robber.
 
You also have to wonder if the thief had previous knowledge about the store (either about their cash flow or work schedules, etc.), making him feel like this place was a good target. OR maybe it was just a random walk-by robber by some dumb, down-on-their-luck kid.
 
[quote author="ohnelly" date=1254890127]You also have to wonder if the thief had previous knowledge about the store (either about their cash flow or work schedules, etc.), making him feel like this place was a good target. OR maybe it was just a random walk-by robber by some dumb, down-on-their-luck kid.</blockquote>


Yeah, a dumb, down-on-their-luck kid who carries a gun.
 
When I saw the title of this thread, I was fully prepared to go sarcasballistic since we so often see a thread about some crime in Irvine as though it's just so incredibly newsworthy that it deserves its own darned thread on IHB. Tmare as author told me it should be interesting.... I swear, Irvinites naivite and denial that anything bad actually happens in their golden city contributes to their vulnerabillity. Bad things happen every where. My car was hit and run in CDM, on Christmas no less and I had only had the new car for 10 days after having my last one for 14 f'ing years!



Just because you are in the confines of Irvine does not mean that you should walk around in this false bubble that everything is safe and not pay attention. Frankly, I find so much self absorbed rude behavior in Irvine and I think it's because people there just think they don't need to be aware of anything other than themselves. I look over my shoulder and observe the surroundings more so since we moved to the "bad part" of CM, but I do it everywhere now out of habit. Nothing of any signficance has happened in my portion of the "bad part of CM" that all the Irvinites diss as so unsafe during the year and a half that I've been here.



OK, so I ranted anyway, but seriously people, wherever you are, pay attention and don't just assume because crime is so low where you are that it doesn't happen. Every statistic is a real person and while your chances may be lower in Irvine, there is no gaurantee of safety any where.



Tmare,



I'm glad you stopped for dinner. Do we really think the guy would have just given up if you had not been in the store he was going to rob? Maybe he would have waited, maybe he wouldn't have seen you and then panicked, whatever. I'm just glad that nothing happened to you and you made it safely back to SA :) Do you think I should re think keeping my hair appt in Irvine or would I be safer coming to a salon in your neighborhood? :)
 
[quote author="tmare" date=1254896313][quote author="ohnelly" date=1254890127]You also have to wonder if the thief had previous knowledge about the store (either about their cash flow or work schedules, etc.), making him feel like this place was a good target. OR maybe it was just a random walk-by robber by some dumb, down-on-their-luck kid.</blockquote>


Yeah, a dumb, down-on-their-luck kid who carries a gun.</blockquote>


Don't underestimate the kid down on their luck who carries a gun. This story also applies to stepping_up's ability to look over over your shoulder and be aware of your surroundings. Having some unique experiences of growing up in OC and having lived in Oakland for 4 years, I tend to watch my back and assess a situation more than those who have fortunately never had to. FWIW, I watch my back the same as I do in SA and LA as I do in Irvine.



Anyway, a prelude: My house has been robbed before. Not because it is in the ghetto, but because it is in a very nice neighborhood in a great location for someone to rob it. It is not a BK approved location for the reasons he has cited before. A gun has been stolen from my house, which means that other guns have been stolen from other homes. And that means that the down on the luck kids do have access to guns, because they acquire them from people who get robbed by them.



Fast forward: A few months ago I was out watering the front yard and I noticed a schleppy kid going door to door. I also noticed after he rang the doorbell he tried the door knob to see if was unlocked. By the time he got around to my house after failed attempts to gain entry and noticing me watching him, he came up and gave some spiel that he was trying to raise funds for him and his USC baseball team for the college world series. Heh... 1. It was not college world series time. 2. The day that USC needs their kids to ask for money is very cold day in hell. 3. A kid at USC would not look schleppy and have jeans that were filthy dirty. I told him times were tough and I wish I could help him out but the timing is bad. As I did this, I noticed him fidget in his pocket, and he wasn't playing around with his own attached gun but the gun he had in his pocket. I remained cool, even though I knew he was tweaking (you know what I mean by that if you have seen it) and continued to be more concerned with watering the yard and he left. I called the sheriff, but I don't know if he got picked up.



Moral of the story, the dude probably got lucky and found a unlocked door and a gun in the house. Now he felt big and could move on to bigger and better things with force. Never, never underestimate the kid who lucks down on their luck, always watch your back, you never know who will be the one to rob you. They may even wear a Zegna suit or dirty jeans, but all will have the same nervous mannerisms. Be aware, but don't ever be afraid.
 
I don't know where else to put this,, a little off topic, but more on the white collar crime side... but I ran into these articles recently,, wanted to share but forgot...



<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dang-law-attorney-2597661-costa-group">Loan modifier faces 33 charges</a>



<a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/baweja-money-class-2590210-plaintiffs-stock">Irvine attorney to plead guilty in $2 million fraud case</a> - I was talking to P about this guy... how can you lose $2-mil? I don't care how bad you are, that is pretty tough!



just right now.. also be careful of on-line phishing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/internet/08phish.html">F.B.I. Indicts Dozens in Online Bank Fraud</a>
 
I heard from someone who knows an Asian shopkeeper in Irvine who says that they have to pay $4,000 a month in protection money. This is hearsay, and the shopkeeper was told to keep quiet, but I believe there is some truth to it.



Now I know there are actually whore houses in Irvine, but you would never know because the johns park at a supermarket while the mamasan picks them up and drives them into the garage before letting them out.
 
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