LOS ANGELES, CA – A 21-year-old man accused of a violent string of armed robberies across Southern California, including an incident in which he shattered a victim’s teeth with a gun, faces the possibility of life in federal prison, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Oshae Pollard from the Manchester Square neighborhood of South Los Angeles, allegedly carried out at least three armed robberies and one attempted robbery between August 25 and September 22. DOJ prosecutors described the attacks as “shockingly violent.”
In a particularly brutal Aug. 25 incident outside the Hustler Casino in Gardena, Pollard allegedly assaulted a woman attempting to protect her purse. Prosecutors said he shoved her to the ground, held a semiautomatic pistol to her mouth, and broke her teeth while threatening to kill her if she yelled for help. After a witness intervened, Pollard fled with the victim’s purse, stealing between $1,000 and $2,000.
Just hours later, in the early morning of Aug. 26, Pollard and an accomplice targeted a taxi driver outside a Winchell’s Donut House in Carson. The driver was beaten and robbed at gunpoint, surrendering his wallet and cell phone.
The spree escalated that evening at Fashion Island Shopping Center in Newport Beach, where Pollard and his accomplice approached two individuals standing near luxury vehicles – a Rolls-Royce and a Ferrari. Prosecutors said Pollard demanded cash and valuables, seizing $44,000 in property, including a luxury watch and the Rolls-Royce owner’s car keys. When the second victim attempted to escape in the Ferrari, Pollard fired a round into the vehicle, narrowly missing the driver.
Nearly a month later, Pollard allegedly struck again, this time at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Prosecutors said he confronted a man getting into his parked car, demanding his belongings. When the victim hesitated, Pollard shot him in the left hand and thigh while issuing death threats. Despite his injuries, the victim fought back, repeatedly kicking Pollard before he fled the scene in a Kia Forte.
Pollard was taken into custody on Dec. 4 and now faces charges of interference of commerce by robbery and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Each charge carries severe penalties, with a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
“The violence alleged in this complaint shocks the conscience,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, emphasizing the severity of the allegations.
Federal authorities continue to investigate Pollard’s actions, with additional charges possible as the case progresses. The victims of his attacks, including the man who survived gunshot wounds in Costa Mesa, are recovering from their injuries.
