A California man has been arrested for a series of alleged violent robberies — including one where he shoved a gun inside a woman’s mouth and broke her teeth, according to authorities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced in a press release that 21-year-old Oshae Pollard from Los Angeles’ Manchester Square neighborhood was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and charged with “interference with commerce by robbery” and “use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.”
This comes after police say, per an affidavit, that Pollard allegedly embarked on a crime spree from August 25 to September 22 that targeted several victims, and in some cases left them with major injuries.
During one robbery on Aug. 25 at the Hustler Casino parking lot in Gardena, authorities claimed Pollard “ran toward the victim and pushed her to the ground” as she “held onto her purse and yelled for help.” During the altercation, he pulled out a “black semi-automatic pistol,” “placed” it into her mouth — “breaking her teeth in the process” — and told her, “If you yell again, I’ll kill you,” per authorities.
A photo of Hustler Casino in Gardena, Calif.
Google Maps
In another incident on Sept. 22, Pollard left a man with a gunshot wound to the leg and hand after he attempted to rob him of his “watch,” “ring” and “car,” per the affidavit. When the man “didn’t comply,” police said the 21-year-old “shot the victim in the left hand” then pointed the gun at his chest and told him, “You’re a dead man.” Pollard then shot him in the thigh.
However, as the man proceeded to remove his watch, he fought back and kicked Pollard to the ground. He and Pollard continued to fight before the man managed to get back into his car and drive away from the scene, police said.
“The violence alleged in this complaint shocks the conscience,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada 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.”
Pollard and an accomplice also robbed a taxi driver at gunpoint on Aug. 26 who had been sitting inside his car in a parking lot, police said. According to an affidavit, Pollard “struck” the cab driver “in the face” before entering his car and demanding that the driver hand over his wallet and Samsung cellphone.
Pollard and his accomplice also allegedly robbed two people of their luxury items in the parking lot of the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach the same day. He “pointed a semi-automatic pistol” at one person and “demanded” all their cash. The man handed over “a luxury watch, a wallet, and the keys to the Rolls-Royce” — all valued at approximately $44,000.
A second person attempted to escape the robbery by driving away in his Ferrari, prompting Pollard to fire “one round from his pistol into the car, barely missing the victim,” according to police. A 9mm shell casing was recovered from the scene.
“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,” Director of Public Affairs for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Kimberly Edds said in a statement, adding, “this arrest continues to send a strong message that crime doesn’t pay in Orange County.”
If Pollard is convicted of the crimes, he faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, authorities said.
