A man suspected of holding up banks in La Jolla and Torrey Highlands has pleaded guilty to all charges, which include five other bank robberies and two attempted robberies.
Victor Lamar Moore, 33, will be sentenced Nov. 24 and faces up to nine years in state prison, court records say. He pleaded guilty Oct. 1 before San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Walsh.
Moore admitted to the Jan. 4 robbery of a U.S. Bank that was inside an Albertsons grocery store at 7895 Highland Village Place. He presented a demand note for $10,000 to the teller.
The teller asked him if he was joking, saying she did not have anything near $10,000. Moore said he wasn’t joking and asked for what she had. He added “there’s nothing personal” about the hold-up before leaving with $800.
A San Diego police officer spotted a vehicle that fit the description of the getaway car and pulled it over on Interstate 5. Inside the car with Moore was money obtained from the bank. Moore’s arrest marked the end of the robbery series.
Moore also pleaded guilty to holding up a Wells Fargo bank, the first bank he robbed, on La Jolla Village Drive on Aug. 24, 2012. The other banks and a credit union were located in Carmel Mountain, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Solana Beach and San Diego. The series included hold-ups in 2012 an 2013. Moore also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery of two banks in El Cajon and San Ysidro.
Moore was initially charged with only the Torrey Highlands bank robbery, but other charges were added after the investigation continued. He was ordered to stand trial June 4 on the other counts. He had been set for trial on Oct. 6. He remains in jail without bail.