Westminster man arrested for stealing $140K from a vape shop in Irvine

In August, a Vape shop in the east part of Irvine was burglarized, and $140,000 was stolen from a safe, according to the Irvine Police Department.

During the investigation, evidence was collected from the scene. That turned out to be bad news for the suspect!

Recently, DNA from one of the items was matched to 31-year-old Toan Vo of Westminster.

Yesterday, Irvine police detectives visited Vo and arrested him for burglary.

Vo was booked at the Orange County Jail.

This apparently is not Vo’s first crime. He was indicted by a grand jury on attempted murder charges for a stabbing on a walkway between two Strip casinos back in 2014, according to Clark County prosecutors.

Vo faced eight counts including two counts of attempted murder for the September brawl that happened between the Exacalibur and Luxor hotels.

Vo claimed self defense.  He not guilty to a charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon and battery causing substantial bodily harm charges against him.

We were unable to find evidence that Vo was ultimately found guilty of those charges.

In Nevada, the crime of attempted murder, including by stabbing, is classified as a category B felony. If convicted, the penalty typically ranges from 2 to 20 years in state prison.

Additionally, if a deadly weapon was used, such as a knife in a stabbing, the judge may impose an extra sentence of 1 to 20 years.

In California, breaking into a store and stealing $140,000 would likely be classified as burglary and grand theft. The penalties for these crimes can be quite severe:

1. Burglary: If the store was closed at the time of the break-in, it would be considered second-degree burglary, which is a “wobbler” offense. This means it can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. As a felony, it can result in up to 3 years in county jail.
2. Grand Theft: Stealing $140,000 qualifies as grand theft, which is also a “wobbler” offense. As a felony, it can lead to up to 3 years in county jail.

Given the amount stolen, it’s likely that both charges would be pursued as felonies, potentially leading to a combined sentence of up to 6 years in county jail. Additionally, there could be fines, restitution, and other legal consequences.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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