Fountain Valley : Officer Draws Praise for Subduing Suspect

Fellow police on Tuesday praised Officer Robert Gallaugher for single-handedly stopping an armed robbery suspect shortly after a holdup in a 7-Eleven store at Slater and Ward avenues.

Gallaugher was slightly injured in a scuffle with the suspect, police said. “He (Gallaugher) showed a lot of restraint in that arrest,” said Sgt. Ron Manda, a watch commander. He said that the suspect refused to obey Gallaugher’s orders and that “at one point even got back in his car, which makes a dangerous situation for any officer.”

The robbery took place about 11:50 p.m. Monday. Police said a man entered the store and pointed a gun at a female clerk, demanding money. He took an undisclosed sum from the store and also the clerk’s wallet before driving away.

Witnesses gave police a description of the man and his getaway car. Gallaugher saw a car and man matching the description a few minutes after the robbery. The alleged getaway car had become stalled at Harbor Boulevard and Warner Avenue, about two miles from the robbery scene, Manda said.

Gallaugher, alone at the time, approached the man and ordered him to surrender, but the suspect refused to comply, Manda said. When backup officers arrived at Warner and Harbor, the officer grabbed the suspect, who was still resisting arrest, Manda said. Gallaugher suffered minor cuts in a street scuffle.

A pistol, cash and the clerk’s wallet were recovered from the suspect’s automobile, police said.

The suspect was identified as Frederick J. Bilotti, 32, of Huntington Beach. He was booked into County Jail on suspicion of armed robbery. Bail was set at $50,000.