ANAHEIM, Calif. – Anaheim Police Detectives arrested two men for a robbery series where they identified themselves as law enforcement officials. Additional victims may exist.
On Thursday, June 20, 2024, Anaheim Police Officers responded to two robberies that occurred between 5 and 6 p.m. Upon Officers’ arrival, they discovered the robberies were connected. During the robberies, the suspects approached the victims, identified themselves as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents, demanded cash from the victims, and then fled in a blue SUV.
Personnel from Anaheim PD’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), Robbery-Major Assaults Detail, and other investigative units immediately began investigating the robberies, recognizing that they were related to other recent, similar robberies.
Approximately five (5) hours after the two robberies occurred, Anaheim Police Investigators located the suspect vehicle, a blue Audi Q7 SUV, in the City of Fullerton and arrested two men, 19-year-old Laurentiu Baceanu and 19-year-old Vasile Alexandru, without incident. Both men were booked into Anaheim Police Department’s Detention Facility for several counts of robbery and other offenses. Alexandru and Baceanu remain in custody and are being held without bail. (Editor’s Note – the surnames Baceanu and Alexandru are both of Romanian origin).
Anaheim Police Detectives believe Alexandru and Baceanu have committed similar robberies in Anaheim, Orange County, and the Western United States. Detectives believe Alexandru and Baceanu targeted Hispanic victims, and additional victims may exist. Alexandru and Baceanu spoke Spanish during the robberies and presented a badge, falsely identifying themselves as law enforcement, before demanding the victim’s property. Detectives believe the men used different vehicles, including a silver or gray Volkswagen Atlas SUV and a blue Audi Q7 SUV, as they committed these crimes.
Anaheim Police Detectives are asking anyone with information about these robberies to contact Robbery Detective John Carey at 714-765-1973 or JCarey@anaheim.net, the Robbery-Major Assaults Detail at 714-765-1947, or contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS or www.occrimestoppers.org.
