Gas station in Pico robbed
By Daily Press staff
At 5:05 p.m., a man entered the UNOCAL in the 1900 block of Pico Boulevard and ordered a pack of cigarettes. He struck up a conversation with the employee, then pulled out a handgun and demanded the money from the cash register.
The employee handed over the cash, and the suspect dashed out the front door and jumped into a waiting vehicle. A second man drove the getaway car.
The man with the gun is described as male, 20 years old, six feet tall, 200 pounds and was wearing a black sweatshirt and dark pants.
The driver is a black man in his 20s.
The getaway car is a mid-1990s, white Ford Taurus.
The loss is an undetermined amount of money.
Santa Monica police arrested Norman Vancooper after watching him allegedly try to steal a beer on Oct. 22.
At 12:25 p.m., the victim was in a parking lot in the 1700 block of Pico Boulevard drinking a beer he just bought. Vancooper walked over and threatened to punch the victim if he didn’t hand over the beer.
A Santa Monica police officer was cruising past, witnessed the event and gave chase to Vancooper.
Vancooper, a 45-year-old resident of Santa Monica, was arrested for strong-arm robbery and parole violation.
A woman was robbed in the private parking structure at the 500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard on Oct. 21.
The woman was exiting her car at 5:45 a.m. when a man approached her and demanded money. She handed over her cash, and the suspect took off on foot.
The assailant is described as a black male, in his mid to late 20s, five feet and eight inches tall, 180 pounds and was wearing a red ski cap and gray sweatshirt.
With any information regarding these crimes, call the Santa Monica Police Department’s robbery/homicide unit at (310) 458-8451.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 8, 2002. Read the original PDF.