Wanted 'serial robber' wounded in officer-involved shooting, twin also arrested

SANTA ANA, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - A 48-year-old man wanted in connection with a series of eight robberies was wounded today in an officer-involved shooting in Santa Ana, where his twin brother was also arrested.

No officers were injured in the shooting, which was reported about 5:30p.m. outside a Chevron station in the area of Grand and Fairhaven avenues, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Police issued an alert Wednesday hoping to identify the serial robber who had been robbing businesses since April, Bertagna said.

Based on a video police released of the suspect, police received tips about who he was and were able to identify him. That information was passed along to detectives who surveilled a hotel in the area, Bertagna said.

A suspect vehicle left the hotel and pulled into a stall at the gasoline station where one suspect fled to the back of the gas station and met with detectives on the side of the building, at which time the officer-involved
shooting occurred, Bertagna said.

It wasn't immediately clear what the suspect did to prompt officers to shoot.

The suspect, who was struck in the lower body, was hospitalized in stable condition, Bertagna said.

His twin brother was taken into custody at the scene.

Bertagna identified them as Timothy and Thomas Espinosa, but he didn't know which was wounded.

A woman was also arrested after police served a search warrant at a nearby hotel where the brothers were staying, Bertagna said.

It wasn't clear how the woman was connected to the brothers.