Two arrested for Laguna robbery

Andrew Edwards

Santa Ana police have arrested men suspected in an armed robbery at a

South Laguna convenience store.

Santa Ana investigators believe the pair, 18-year-old Tyler

McCulley of Tustin and 21-year-old Corey Poulen, a resident of an

unincorporated area near Santa Ana, are responsible for several

robberies throughout Orange County.

The two were arrested Monday night and booked at Santa Ana jail,

police said.

“There are 44 robberies in the county that our crime analysis

people believe these guys are responsible for,” Santa Ana Sgt. Carlos

Rojas said.

The men have not yet been charged with all 44 crimes, Rojas added.

On Dec. 31, two men held up a 7-11 in the 31700 block of South

Coast Highway and reportedly made off with about $400 in cash and a

carton of cigarettes.

“We believe that they are linked to that robbery,” Rojas said.

The pair are suspected of having committed three robberies on the

day of their arrest. At about 5 p.m., Santa Ana police responded to a

call that a robbery had been committed at the Comfort Suites near

the Costa Mesa Freeway and Dyer Road. Police set up surveillance on

items the robbers left behind in the area, and waited for the pair to

return and pick them up, Rojas said.

The pair are suspected in two other robberies, one in Garden

Grove, the other in Costa Mesa, committed before they came back to

collect the items they lost in Santa Ana. Police arrested the pair at

about 11:45 p.m. when they returned, Rojas said.

Poulen and Rojas were staying at the same hotel that was robbed,

police said.

Police arrested a third man in the area, 20-year-old Tustin

resident Brendan White, on suspicion of possessing narcotics. A

14-year-old girl police described as a runaway was taken to

Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange. The three men and the girl all

knew each other, Rojas said.