Man, 22, Charged in Recent Series of Robberies in North Hollywood Area

A North Hollywood man arrested as he took a shower has been charged with six robberies and may have been involved in as many as 24 others, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday.

Michael Angelo Garcia, 22, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday in Van Nuys Municipal Court, the Los Angeles public defender’s office said. His bail was set at $150,000.

“We’re anticipating that he’ll be charged with at least six more counts,” Detective Rick Jamieson said.

Jamieson said Garcia is being investigated for as many as 30 robberies in the North Hollywood area in the past three weeks, including about 17 committed during a three-day period that began Christmas Eve.

Fast-food restaurants and other small businesses were the targets, Jamieson said. It was unknown how much money was taken in the robberies, and nobody was injured in any of the incidents.

Detectives believe Garcia might have been operating with three other people and more arrests may be made, Jamieson said.

Police officers began searching for Garcia and another youth Saturday after a gunman robbed a McDonald’s restaurant in the 8000 block of Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.

The robber fled the restaurant by jumping into the trunk of a blue Oldsmobile.

Witnesses, however, jotted down the number of the car’s license plate.

The car was registered to a man in the 12300 block of Lull Street in North Hollywood, whose description did not match that of the robber.

When officers called the owner to ask if his car had been stolen, he said it was safe and that his son had taken it for a drive. Officers drove to the man’s house and took his 17-year-old son into custody in the driveway. Garcia was arrested in the bathroom a few minutes later.

The juvenile is facing two counts of robbery, Jamieson said.

Officers said Saturday that when they told Garcia he was under arrest, he asked incredulously, “Are you kidding?”

Jamieson said police suspicion that Garcia was connected with the other robberies is based in part on his physical description.

“We knew we had an individual out doing all the robberies, but we had no idea who it was until he was taken into custody,” Jamieson said.

A preliminary hearing for Garcia has been set for Jan. 8 in Van Nuys Municipal Court.