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Surveillance Video Image Released Of Mission Viejo Mall Robbery Suspect

MISSION VIEJO (CBSLA) — The public's help is needed Monday to identify the person behind an armed robbery at Nordstrom's in Mission Viejo.

The robbery happened at the Shops at Mission Viejo Mall, off Marguerite Parkway and Shops Boulevard, just after closing time Saturday night.

mission viejo mall robbery image
(credit: Orange County Sheriff's Department)

The suspect, who held up the Nordstrom's store, got away with an unknown amount of money before authorities arrived.

No shots were fired, and one person suffered minor injuries while trying to run out of the mall. However, initial reports out on social media were panicked and incorrectly described the incident as a hostage situation.

Most of the shops were already closed at the time of the robbery, but the Orange County Sheriff's Department's SWAT team was called out to the scene and removed some people who sheltered in place. A search for the suspect was unsuccessful.

Investigators on Sunday released a surveillance video image of the suspect, who was described as a white man between 20 and 30 years old, with red hair or wearing an orange wig, and wearing all black. The image shows the gunman wore black sunglasses over a blue medical face mask, a black watch on his left wrist, and appeared to be wearing blue gloves.

Anyone with information about the gunman or the robbery can contact OC Sheriff's Dispatch at (949) 770-6011.

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