A serial robber was sentenced to 12 years in state prison for robbing 13 stores by threatening the cashiers with a replica firearm.
The defendant is John Allen Wagner, 50, of Westminster, who pled guilty on Aug. 2, 2017 to 13 counts of second degree robbery.
On Jan. 21, 2015, Wagner robbed the clerk at a Rite Aid store in Garden Grove. On Feb. 8, 2015, Wagner entered an Albertson’s grocery store in Fountain Valley and approached a cash register with a bottled beverage. As the cashier opened the register to complete the transaction, the defendant lifted his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband, placed his hand on the grip, and demanded the cashier give him money from the register. The defendant fled the scene before police officers arrived.
On Feb. 17, 2015, Wagner robbed a Rite-Aid store in Fountain Valley by approaching a cash register, grabbing his waistband, and demanding the cashier give him all of the money in the register. The defendant then fled the scene.
In March 2015 the defendant robbed a CVS and a Rite Aid store in locations in Huntington Beach and Westminster, respectively.
On April 23, 2015, the defendant robbed a Walgreens store in Fountain Valley and fled the scene.
On May 24, 2015, Wagner robbed a separate Albertson’s grocery store in Fountain Valley by showing a cashier what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband and demanding all of the money in the register.
In June 2015 Wagner robbed the clerks of a CVS in Westminster, a Rite Aid in Costa Mesa, and a Vons in Huntington Beach in a similar manner.
On July 7, 2015, the defendant robbed a cashier at a Ralph’s grocery store in Huntington Beach.
On July 20, 2015, Wagner walked to a check-out line in a separate Walgreens store in Fountain Valley, displayed what appeared to be a firearm in his waistband, and forced the cashier to give him money. Wagner reached over the register to grab more money from the register before fleeing the scene.
On July 10, 2016, the defendant robbed the clerk of a Vons grocery store in Huntington Beach.
On July 20, 2016, the defendant was shopping at a Ralph’s grocery store in Fountain Valley when a customer recognized him as a suspect in a local robbery. The customer called the Fountain Valley Police Department, who located the defendant driving away from the store and initiated a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, Wagner was in possession of a BB gun resembling a firearm and articles of clothing consistent with those seen on surveillance video of the robberies.
