Police: Suspect shot clerk with flare gun

Police are chalking up the Wednesday arrest of a suspected 60-year-old robber to old-fashioned police work.

Three days after Costa Mesa police said Herman Lee Coleman of Costa Mesa tried to rob a 7-Eleven on Baker Street with a flare gun, police say, officers identified and tracked him to his home in the 1000 block of Cheyenne Street.

Police found the flare gun among his things, said Lt. Bryan Glass.

About 8:25 p.m. Sunday, a gunman walked into the 7-Eleven, pulled the flare gun on the clerk and demanded she empty the register, police said.

While she followed the gunman’s orders, he shot her in the chest with a flare, Glass said. The clerk suffered bruises. The suspect fled without taking any money, police said.

Glass said police identified Coleman on Tuesday night on a security video and arrested him Wednesday morning. Coleman was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and robbery and is being held without bail, due to an outstanding warrant in Louisiana.

— Joseph Serna