Costa Mesa police to question holdup suspect

Costa Mesa police are waiting their turn to question a robbery suspect. Investigators are checking to see if the suspect was involved in a 9 a.m. holdup outside a Costa Mesa Bank this week, police said.

Westminster police arrested Anthony Maldonado, 25, of Huntington Beach, Wednesday on suspicion of robbery in connection with a holdup Tuesday night, Westminster police said. Fountain Valley police pulled over a black Nissan Altima, driven by Maldonado Wednesday morning, in response to a countywide bulletin sent out by Westminster police.

Costa Mesa police are checking to see if Maldonado was involved in the armed robbery at about 9 a.m. Monday outside the Costa Mesa Credit Union, 2701 Harbor Blvd.

A 28-year-old Costa Mesa man was walking from the bank to his car when a newer-model black Nissan sedan pulled up next to him, police said. The robber called to the man and demanded all of his belongings, revealing a shotgun near his lap in the car, Sgt. Bryan Glass said.

The man gave the robber his cellphone and a wallet containing $130, Glass said.

The robber in the Costa Mesa holdup is a white man, 20 to 24 years old, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds and possibly had facial hair, police said.

He was last seen wearing a black, long-sleeve pullover with a hood, tan pants and a black baseball cap, Sgt. Bob Phillips said.

— Kelly Strodl