Robbery Suspect Shot After Chase in Torrance
Torrance police Wednesday shot and killed a suspected serial robber who had assaulted an Orange County sheriff’s deputy during a two-county crime spree, authorities said.
The man, tentatively identified as Robert Craig, 36, was pronounced dead at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
Craig had been linked to about 12 robberies, including two Orange County holdups 30 minutes apart Saturday, officials said.
Authorities began pursuing Craig about 10 a.m. Wednesday after an Orange County sheriff’s deputy spotted him loading a truck outside a motel. Craig reportedly wrestled the deputy to the ground before carjacking a vehicle, fleeing and robbing a pet store.
Craig was spotted again at 3 p.m. in Torrance by undercover officers, said Lt. Rod Irvine of the Torrance Police Department. Craig reportedly spotted the officers and sped off. The vehicle crashed into a business as police pursued him.
According to Irvine, officers were chasing Craig through the business on foot when the shooting occurred.
Irvine said the incident was under investigation and that the department was not commenting on whether a weapon was found at the scene.
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