Catholic Gift Store Bandit Blames ‘Difficult Times,’ Says He’s Sorry

LAKE FOREST — A Christian gift store was robbed Monday afternoon by a bandit who lamented that times were bad before he departed with about $150 in cash.

Employees at the Catholic Gift Store, on Raymond Way off the busy El Toro Road commercial strip, said the robber spent several minutes waiting for a customer to leave before he pointed a gun at the store’s clerk.

“He was real quick about it,” said store manager Linda Rinder. “He just produced a gun, said he was ‘sorry, these are difficult times,’ and left with the money.”

The bandit is described as being about 30 years old, approximately 6 feet tall with a heavy build and wearing a white T-shirt. Police said he used a small-caliber handgun and departed on foot.

No one was injured. Sheriff’s Lt. Richard J. Olson said no suspect is in custody.

Rinder said the thief did not act suspiciously at first.

“That’s probably why he didn’t create any alarm,” Rinder said. “He was very calm and straight-faced. He did not stand out at all.”

Before producing the weapon, Rinder said, the gunman wandered through the store, finally bringing an inexpensive children’s necklace to the counter.

“He asked how much it cost before he asked for the money. He wound up taking the necklace, too.”