Article Launched: 08/02/2006 12:00:00 AM PDT



Residential armed robber steals medical marijuana; shot fired



BY PAULA M. FELIPE/Public Safety Reporter



An armed suspect fired a shot as his victim chased him for stealing a jar of
marijuana Monday morning.



At 8:37 a.m. a custodian working at Bird Street School heard a gun shot in the
area of Miner's Alley and Bird Street. "The custodian first called 9-1-1 and
reported hearing the shot fired," said Oroville Police Department's Lt. John
Nickelson.



Police responded to the scene and interviewed the custodian who also reported
seeing a suspicious vehicle flee the area.



Upon investigation, police were directed to a duplex-type house on the 1500
block of Montgomery Street and were able to contact the resident. Police learned
a residential armed robbery occurred a few minutes earlier and a shot had been
fired, according to Nickelson.



Oroville Police officers learned a resident at the duplex had a recommendation
for medical marijuana. The resident had been contacted by an acquaintance, who
had been invited in and subsequently robbed the victim at gunpoint, taking his
jar of marijuana, and then fleeing the residence.


The victim then followed the gunman out to the area of Miner's Alley where the
suspect then reportedly fired a single round from an unknown type of handgun,
Nickelson said. No injuries were reported.


The victim said he had a small amount of marijuana, which would fill about an
eight ounce jar, Nickelson said. "We also had other reports of people hearing
the shot fired," he added.



Oroville Police have several leads in this incident and are looking for a white
Chevrolet Tahoe with chrome rims and tinted windows. The license plate likely
leads off with the number "5." The suspect is known to the victim and the police
are actively trying to identify that person at this time.



Sources close to the investigation said the suspicious vehicle fled the scene
going westbound on Bird Street near First Avenue. The incident occurred near
Bird Street School, but school was not in session due to the summer break.



http://orovillemr.com/news/ci_4123409



COMMENT: This is the third robbery involving medical marijuana and individual
patients being targeted in the past three days. 2 of them involve guns being
fired and used to rob patients. It's a sick world we live in. Peace

dabronx