Posted on: December 6, 2024, 08:22h.
Last updated on: December 6, 2024, 10:18h.
A man who allegedly threatened, assaulted, and robbed a woman in the parking lot outside of California’s Hustler Casino was arrested on several charges this week.
Oshae Pollard, 21, of Los Angeles, was charged for brazenly robbing the victim at the Gardena cardroom on August 25, authorities said.
Pollard spotted the woman in the lot and ran toward her. He then allegedly pushed her to the pavement.
Victim Loses Teeth, Life Threatened
The unnamed victim refused to hand over her purse and yelled for help, prosecutors said.
The two struggled over her purse before Pollard allegedly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and put it inside the victim’s mouth, breaking several of her teeth.
If you yell again, I’ll kill you,” Pollard threatened the victim,” prosecutors revealed.
Pollard eventually was able to grab the purse and made it back to a nearby car before fleeing, according to authorities. The purse contained between $1,000 and $2,000 in cash.
The holdup was just one in a series of armed robberies Pollard allegedly took part in while at parking lots in Los Angeles and Orange counties, prosecutors said.
Pollard is charged with interference with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He appeared in Santa Ana federal court on Wednesday.
The violence alleged in this complaint shocks the conscience,” Martin Estrada, US Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement. “It is essential that we hold perpetrators of violence accountable for victimizing our community. My office — through the Operation Safe Cities initiative — is collaborating with local law enforcement and using powerful federal tools to target the worst offenders of violent gun crime.”
Between August 25 and September 22, Pollard committed at least three armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery, according to Estrada.
On August 26, Pollard and an accomplice allegedly robbed a taxi driver who was in a cab at the parking lot of a Winchell’s Donut House in Carson. The victim was struck in the face and held at gunpoint before having his wallet and cell phone stolen.
That same day, Pollard and an accomplice allegedly robbed two victims standing near their Rolls-Royce and Ferrari cars in the parking lot of the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, prosecutors said.
Pollard allegedly pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the victim standing near the Rolls-Royce and demanded all of the victim’s cash. The victim handed over a luxury watch, a wallet, and the keys to the Rolls-Royce.
When the other victim attempted to drive away in the Ferrari, Pollard ran to the car and fired his pistol into the luxury vehicle, authorities said. The victim wasn’t wounded.
The items stolen at the shopping center in total were valued at about $44K.
Wounded Victim Kicks Robber
On September 22, Pollard also robbed a man who was entering a car parked at the South Coast Plaza shopping mall in Costa Mesa, authorities said.
Give me the watch. Give me the ring. Give me the car,” Pollard reportedly shouted at the victim.
The man refused, leading Pollard to shoot him in the left hand, and then pointed the pistol at the man’s chest, prosecutors said.
He then told the victim, “You’re a dead man,” according to prosecutors.
Pollard then allegedly shot the man in the left thigh as the victim began to remove his watch.
But rather than giving up, the victim began kicking Pollard, who fell to the ground from the impact. The victim was able to kick Pollard several times over about 15 seconds.
Pollard then ran to a nearby Kia Forte and fled, prosecutors said.
The victim was treated for the gunshot wounds and recovered from the injuries, prosecutors added.
