2 Reseda Men Held in String of Robberies : Crimes: A paroled killer and his ex-brother-in-law are accused of as many as 60 armed holdups.

Two Reseda men--one a recently paroled killer--have been arrested in connection with a string of as many as 60 armed robberies at restaurants and supermarkets throughout the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said Monday.

The two men--Gary Allan Abbott, 37, and Raymond Paul Wisecarver, 48--stole about $20,000 during their seven-month spree, Lt. George Rock said. “This was their job,” he said, characterizing the pair as “career criminals.”

Wisecarver was paroled in November from state prison, where he had served four years of an eight-year sentence for gunning down a man that he accused of raping his stepdaughter in 1986, Rock said. Abbott, Wisecarver’s former brother-in-law, has a long record of felony arrests, Rock said.

On Monday, Wisecarver was charged with four counts of armed robbery, and Abbott was charged with 10, Deputy Dist. Atty. Carole Chizever said, adding that additional charges may be filed as detectives continue their investigation. The men are scheduled to be arraigned this week.

Police suspect Wisecarver and Abbott of robbing as many as 60 Valley restaurants and supermarkets at gunpoint since December. Rock said the two men generally got about $200 to $300 per heist, but sometimes made off with more than $2,000. One man generally would go inside and demand money while the other waited in the getaway car, Rock said.

Abbott was arrested at his apartment about 10:30 p.m. Thursday after police responded to complaints from neighbors about a noisy argument. Officers found a small amount of cocaine and arrested Abbott on suspicion of possession of cocaine, Rock said.

While Abbott was in jail, investigators recognized him as matching the description of a man who robbed the Bob’s Big Boy restaurant at 21222 Sherman Way in Canoga Park on July 27, Rock said.

In that robbery, a thief demanded money from the cashier and ran outside. He was chased into the parking lot by a patron, who gave up the pursuit when the robber pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. The gun did not fire, but the robber then hopped into a car and ran down the patron, breaking the man’s leg.

Abbott was being held in lieu of $150,000 bail.

The arrest of Abbott led police to Wisecarver, who was arrested at his home about 8 a.m. Sunday. He was identified through photographs as the man who robbed the Pavilions supermarket at 6534 Platt Ave. in Canoga Park on April 28, Rock said.

Wisecarver was being held without bail because he had not checked in with his parole officer since his release from state prison last November, Rock said. He was convicted of one count of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced in 1987 to prison for the 1986 shooting death of Edward Shreckengaust, 23, a Reseda nightclub bouncer.