Suspect in Pair of Liquor Store Holdups Slain
A suspect in two liquor store robberies Friday night was shot to death in the parking lot of a Garden Grove bar after he reportedly aimed a gun at two police officers.
Gary D. Lynch, 42, of Garden Grove and his girlfriend, Carolyn G. Nielson, 32, of Costa Mesa, reportedly ran out of Mickey’s Tavern, 10662 Garden Grove Blvd., after seeing Garden Grove police cars outside the bar.
Lynch dived under a van next to his own car and Nielson hid beside it, police said. They said two officers ordered Lynch to come out, but he pulled out a handgun. One officer fired once, striking Lynch in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene about 8:30 p.m.
Nielson was booked on suspicion of robbery and investigation of charges connected with Lynch’s shooting. Police believe that she drove the getaway car in robberies at 7:28 p.m. at Hanshaw’s Liquor, 10791 Westminster Ave., and at 7:43 at Vi’s Liquors, 9731 Garden Grove Blvd., both in Garden Grove. She is held on $250,000 bail.
Police said a witness to one of the robberies got the license number of the robber’s car. Police traced it to Lynch, and located him at Mickey’s Tavern.
About $200 in cash was recovered. Police are investigating whether Lynch and Nielson were involved in a string of unsolved liquor store robberies in the area in recent months.
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