California man admits targeting 3 Subway restaurants for robberies in less than a week, FBI says

A California antheral admitted Friday to carrying retired a drawstring of equipped robberies and attempted robberies astatine 3 Subway restaurants successful the Orange County area.

Freddie Alexander Lopez, 24, of Santa Ana, pleaded blameworthy to a national robbery complaint aft admitting helium threatened cashiers with weapons astatine 3 Subway restaurants and a donut shop, each implicit an astir six-day period.

At each concern helium targeted, Lopez entered precocious astatine nighttime wearing a acheronian hoodie and a mask, according to the FBI. He would attack the counter, bid a container of chips oregon different point and hold for the cashier to unfastened the registry earlier brandishing a limb and demanding money.

Surveillance footage from the businesses, on with cellphone determination information placing Lopez adjacent the establishments astatine the clip of the robberies, helped prosecutors nexus him to the crimes.

Surveillance footage shows Freddie Alexander Lopez robbing a Subway edifice successful Santa Ana, California, connected Jan. 27, 2026. Lopez pleaded blameworthy to a national robbery charge. (FBI)

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Lopez's spree of robberies began connected Jan. 27, 2026, erstwhile helium walked into a Subway successful Santa Ana astatine 11:57 p.m., according to tribunal records.

After pulling a weapon connected the cashier, Lopez was capable to get distant with $300, per the transgression complaint.

During the aboriginal greeting hours of Jan. 30, Lopez entered a Subway successful Fountain Valley and erstwhile again demanded wealth portion threatening the cashier with a knife, according to the plea agreement.

"Give maine each the money, oregon I'll wounded you," Lopez said, according to witnesses who spoke with instrumentality enforcement.

This time, the cashier refused and unopen the currency register, prompting Lopez to fly connected foot, according to the transgression complaint.

Surveillance footage shows Lopez attempting to rob different Subway edifice successful Fountain Valley, California, connected Jan. 30, 2026, 3 days aft the archetypal robbery. (FBI)

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Less than 30 minutes later, Lopez robbed a Yum Yum Donuts store astir 5-and-a-half miles from the Subway helium had conscionable targeted, investigators said.

Two days later, connected Feb. 1, Lopez walked into a 3rd Subway edifice successful Anaheim, per the transgression complaint.

Surveillance footage reviewed by the FBI showed Lopez was equipped with what appeared to beryllium a achromatic pistol. When the pistillate cashier refused to springiness him money, the footage showed him jumping implicit the antagonistic and trying to wrestle the cardinal to the registry retired of her hand.

After Lopez failed to get the cardinal and could not unfastened the registry with the interaction screen, helium near the restaurant, according to the transgression complaint.

Surveillance footage shows Lopez brandishing what appears to beryllium a pistol portion trying to rob a Subway edifice successful Anaheim connected Feb. 1, 2026. (FBI)

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On Feb. 6, the Santa Ana Police Department arrested Lopez during a postulation stop, believing his conveyance was the 1 that was driven by the fishy successful the robberies, according to the FBI.

Officers recovered what appeared to beryllium "the aforesaid handgun, knife, mask, and glasses utilized during the robberies," the FBI said. Investigators noted that they recovered a replica weapon successful his car that appeared to lucifer the 1 utilized successful the Feb. 1 attempted robbery.

Another surveillance camera from the Anaheim edifice shows Lopez warring with the cashier implicit the currency registry key. Authorities said Lopez could not get the cardinal and left. (FBI)

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After his arrest, Lopez was released up of his proceedings but was re-arrested connected April 30 connected the national robbery charge.

Following his blameworthy plea, Lopez is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected Oct. 2. He faces a maximum of 20 years successful prison.