Amnesia Claimed : Man Admits Robbing Costa Mesa Loan Firm

Although he claims to have suffered from drug-induced amnesia, a Pico Rivera man accused of robbing a Costa Mesa savings and loan association pleaded guilty to the robbery charges this week in a Los Angeles federal court.

The October robbery made headlines because David Cota and his partner tossed about $5,000 in stolen cash to astonished freeway motorists during a high-speed chase by Costa Mesa police.

Cota, 21, is accused of walking into Glendale Federal Savings & Loan Assn.’s Harbor Boulevard branch on Oct. 19 carrying a loaded, sawed-off shotgun. He allegedly demanded that tellers empty their cash drawers and fled with $8,415, according to a federal grand jury indictment filed Oct. 25.

Anthony Vega, the second man charged with the Glendale Federal robbery, previously pleaded not guilty. Jury selection for his trial began Tuesday. Cota faces a maximum sentence of 55 years and fines of $20,000. Manuel Araujo, Cota’s court-appointed attorney, said his client does not remember the robbery because he was apparently under the influence of drugs at the time.

With several police cars in pursuit, Cota and Vega exited the Costa Mesa Freeway. Their car spun out in a puddle of water near Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana. They were arrested, and Cota was immediately identified by the Glendale Federal tellers as the man who entered the bank, according to court records.

Vega, 19, the alleged driver of the getaway car, admits driving Cota from Montebello to Costa Mesa the day of the robbery but said he thought Cota just wanted to open a new account, court documents said.

On Tuesday, Cota also pleaded guilty to an Oct. 10 robbery of Centurion Savings & Loan Assn. in Santa Monica. Photographs taken by a surveillance camera during the robbery were introduced in court, and Cota confirmed that the pictures were of him.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Jeffrey Modisett said the government agreed to accept Cota’s guilty pleas for the two robberies in exchange for not pressing charges on several other robberies that investigators believe Cota committed. The agreement will remain in effect unless prosecutors determine that Cota injured anyone during the crimes.

According to court records, Cota has a history of mental illness and was under psychiatric observation at Atascadero State Hospital five weeks before committing a string of robberies.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson scheduled Cota’s sentencing for Feb. 19.