2 Men Linked to Liquor Store Robberies Held

Two men who are believed linked to a recent rash of liquor store robberies have been arrested after one of them entered a liquor store with a loaded handgun, police said Saturday.

Donald Alan Privett, a 28-year-old door hanger from Huntington Beach, and Thomas Keith Shannon, a 26-year-old painter from Costa Mesa, were arrested about 7:30 p.m. Friday outside H&S; Liquor Mart on Victoria Street in Costa Mesa, Newport Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said.

Privett had gone inside the store and purchased a 12-pack of beer when investigators--who were following Privett in connection with the robbery of a cab driver last week--noticed a handgun in his back pocket, Gonis said.

Privett then left the store and handed the beer to Shannon, who waited outside in a green Volkswagen.

“We knew there had been several recent robberies in the Newport Beach-Costa Mesa area where two suspects have gone (to a liquor store), and one guy pays for a 12-pack of Coors beer, exits, hands the beer to the guy in the car, returns and makes the robbery,” Gonis said.

“For everybody’s safety, we took both of them into custody” before Privett could return to the store, he said.

Privett was arrested on suspicion of robbery in connection with the robbery of the cab driver on New Year’s night, Gonis said.

Shannon was booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery in Friday night’s incident.

Bail for each man was set at $50,000.