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A South Los Angeles man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a series of armed robberies in parking lots in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including one incident in Newport Beach.
Oshae Pollard, 21, of Los Angeles, is charged with interference with commerce by robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
“The violence alleged in this complaint shocks the conscience,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “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.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from August 25 to September 22, Pollard targeted victims in parking lots in Southern California in a series of crimes—at least three armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery.
On August 26, Pollard and an accomplice approached two victims standing near their Rolls-Royce and Ferrari vehicles in the parking lot of the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach.
Pollard pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the victim standing near the Rolls-Royce and demanded all the victim’s cash. 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, barely missing the victim. The victim drove to a nearby gas station and asked the gas station clerk to call police, who later recovered one 9mm shell casing from the scene. The total value of the items stolen was approximately $44,000.
On September 22, Pollard 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,” and 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.”
Pollard then shot the victim in the left thigh as the victim began to remove his watch. The victim then kicked Pollard, who fell to the ground. The victim then kicked Pollard several times, fought with him for up to 15 seconds, then got back into his car and drove away. Pollard ran to a Kia Forte and fled the scene. The victim survived the gunshot wounds.
“Reducing violent crime in our community and throughout our country is a priority of the ATF,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this investigation by the ATF Orange County Violent Crime Task Force. Cases like this highlight the importance of authentic relationships between law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe. This arrest illustrates the task force’s unrelenting resolve to hold accountable anyone who engages in violent criminal activity.”
Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, Pollard would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crime Task Force is investigating this case. This task force is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Newport Beach Police Department and the Costa Mesa Police Department.
