Corona Man Sentenced In 7-Eleven Armed Robbery: COURT

CORONA, CA — A Corona man earned a 12-year prison sentence Monday for the armed robbery of an Orange County 7-Eleven convenience store. This was one of ten such robberies he admitted to committing over a two-day crime spree in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Justice in a recent news release.

George Arizon, 28, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered him to pay $3,658 in restitution for the crime.

In this case, Arizon pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in August, according to a Department of Justice news release.

On November 8, 2022, Arizon robbed a 7-Eleven store in Westminster, where he brandished a semi-automatic handgun and used it to threaten a store employee, court records show. In fear for his safety, the employee handed Arizon $80 in cash and two packs of cigarettes.

"In his plea agreement, Arizon admitted to committing nine other armed robberies of businesses – eight restaurants and one hair salon – in Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Westminster over a span of two days," the DOJ reported. "In each of those robberies, Arizon brandished a firearm to threaten and intimidate the businesses’ employees."

Police officers responding to calls about the Westminster robberies later recovered and retained a black sweatshirt, black hat, and mask that Arizon wore during the crimes, according to court documents.

Officers also recovered the black semi-automatic handgun with a gold-colored barrel, which had been discarded nearby. Security camera footage showed Arizon wearing this apparel, court documents state.

Arizon stole a total of $3,658 during his crime spree. Prosecutors described the ghost gun used during the robberies in a statement, saying, "he repeatedly pointed a ghost gun at victims to force them to hand over the stores’ money. When investigators arrested him and searched his house, they found another firearm, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, spent shell casings, and drugs.”

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