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3 gunmen rob Costa Mesa family

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Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- Three men armed with handguns barged into an apartment

Thursday afternoon and stole money and jewelry from residents, police

officials said.

The front door to the apartment, in a complex in the 700 block of

Victoria Street, was closed but unlocked at the time, Lt. Dale Birney

said.

The three intruders entered the apartment and reportedly robbed a

41-year-old woman and her nephew, he said. No one was hurt in the heist.

The nephew, 19-year-old Marvin Munoz, said he was in his bedroom when

two men with guns came in, pushed him on the bed and took his money, cell

phone and jewelry.

“They were pointing the gun to my chest and said, ‘Don’t move,”’ Munoz

said.

He said they also went into his aunt’s room and robbed her. Munoz said

the alleged robbers spoke in English and Spanish.

“I’ve never seen these guys before,” he said. “But what surprises me

is why they picked us out of all the apartments here. Why us?”

Birney said police have not been able to answer that question yet, but

added that it could be because their door was unlocked.

Birney also said a friend of Munoz’s tried to grab one of the robbers

as he walked into the home. The robbers were still able to get away and

ran out onto Victoria Street.

The friend, Jose Guzman Gomez, said he confronted the intruders at the

door as they were leaving.

“They were dressed in all black with a hooded sweatshirt,” he said.

“One of them, the guy I grabbed, lifted up his shirt and showed me a

pistol” tucked in his waistband.

The men are described as between 18 and 20 years old and wearing

dark-colored clothing, police said.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .

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