On Feb. 29, Alex Preciado of Anaheim was arrested on suspicion of an armed robbery committed at the Kohl’s department store at 12345 Seal Beach Blvd.
At 2:39 p.m., officers responded to a report of a theft in progress at Kohl’s. The suspect was still there when officers arrived. Officers were given a descr
iption of the suspect and took up positions outside the front door of the store. As the suspect left the store, Kohl’s security staff confronted him. The suspect turned to face the Kohl’s employees and pulled out a handgun from his waistband. He was confronted by Seal Beach Police officers and dropped the gun. The suspect fled and was caught after a brief foot pursuit. The handgun was later determined to be a CO2 pellet gun, a type of air gun.
“The Police Officers responding to this call were faced with a split-second decision to use deadly force,” said Chief of Police Joe Stilinovich. “They recognized that there were bystanders that could get hurt, and exercised commendable restraint in not shooting the suspect pulling a gun out of his waistband.”
Preciado was booked at the Seal Beach Detention Center on multiple charges. The gun and property were recovered. Preciado has a lengthy criminal record with prior criminal convictions.
Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance with identifying possible additional victims. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect, or has information about other crimes, to contact Detective Chris Hendrix at 562-799-4100 ext. 1109.
