Intended Robbery Victim Thwarts 2 Assailants at Bank Teller Machine

In a daring move, a Costa Mesa man thwarted a robbery attempt at an automated teller machine when he stood up to two unidentified armed bandits who accosted him as he was walking back to his car.

Michael Fitzhugh, 36, had finished withdrawing $60 from a Bank of America ATM machine in the 3200 block of Park Center Drive at 9 p.m. when the attempted robbery took place, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Karl Schuler said.

Fitzhugh was walking away from the machine when the two men walked up to him, pulled out a .44 magnum and pointed it at him, Schuler said.

The robbers then ordered Fitzhugh to withdraw an additional $200 and to hand over the $60 he had just received out of the machine.

Fitzhugh, however, grabbed the barrel of the large-caliber pistol and began wrestling with one of the two men. As the two fell into a clump of bushes, Fitzhugh took the gun away from the suspect.

Both suspects then fled on foot southbound on Park Center Drive, toward Anton Boulevard, Schuler said.

Fitzhugh was not hurt in the altercation, officers said. Police took the gun and the ATM receipt for the $60 withdrawal as evidence, Schuler said. The investigation is continuing.