A man from California confessed his involvement on Friday in a series of armed heists and attempted hold-ups targeting several Subway sandwich shops in Orange County.
Freddie Alexander Lopez, a 24-year-old resident of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to a federal robbery charge, admitting to terrifying cashiers with weapons as he stormed three Subway locations and a donut shop, all within a span of roughly six days.
Lopez’s approach was consistent at each location. According to the FBI, he would arrive under the cover of night, clad in a dark hoodie and mask. Once inside, he would casually order a small item, like a bag of chips, and patiently wait for the cashier to open the register before revealing a weapon and demanding cash.
Investigators were able to tie Lopez to the heists, thanks to surveillance videos from the businesses and cellphone location data that placed him close to the scene of the robberies at the crucial times.
One piece of surveillance footage vividly captures Freddie Alexander Lopez during one of his crimes, robbing a Subway in Santa Ana, California, on January 27, 2026. His admission of guilt in this federal robbery case marks a significant development. (FBI)
CALIFORNIA MEN ACCUSED OF $100K BURGLARY ALLEGEDLY TOOK SELFIES WHILE COMMITTING CRIME
Lopez’s spree of robberies began on Jan. 27, 2026, when he walked into a Subway in Santa Ana at 11:57 p.m., according to court records.
After pulling a knife on the cashier, Lopez was able to get away with $300, per the criminal complaint.
During the early morning hours of Jan. 30, Lopez entered a Subway in Fountain Valley and once again demanded money while threatening the cashier with a knife, according to the plea agreement.
“Give me all the money, or I’ll hurt you,” Lopez said, according to witnesses who spoke with law enforcement.
This time, the cashier refused and shut the cash register, prompting Lopez to flee on foot, according to the criminal complaint.
Surveillance footage shows Lopez attempting to rob another Subway restaurant in Fountain Valley, California, on Jan. 30, 2026, three days after the first robbery. (FBI)
Less than 30 minutes later, Lopez robbed a Yum Yum Donuts store about 5-and-a-half miles from the Subway he had just targeted, investigators said.
Two days later, on Feb. 1, Lopez walked into a third Subway restaurant in Anaheim, per the criminal complaint.
Surveillance footage reviewed by the FBI showed Lopez was armed with what appeared to be a black pistol. When the female cashier refused to give him money, the footage showed him jumping over the counter and trying to wrestle the key to the register out of her hand.
After Lopez failed to get the key and could not open the register with the touch screen, he left the restaurant, according to the criminal complaint.
Surveillance footage shows Lopez brandishing what appears to be a pistol while trying to rob a Subway restaurant in Anaheim on Feb. 1, 2026. (FBI)
SOUTH AMERICAN CRIME TOURISM CREW STOLE $24M IN NATIONWIDE LUXURY HEISTS OPERATING FROM BOGUS CAR RENTAL: FEDS
On Feb. 6, the Santa Ana Police Department arrested Lopez during a traffic stop, believing his vehicle was the one that was driven by the suspect in the robberies, according to the FBI.
Officers found what appeared to be “the same handgun, knife, mask, and glasses used during the robberies,” the FBI said. Investigators noted that they found a replica gun in his car that appeared to match the one used in the Feb. 1 attempted robbery.
Another surveillance camera from the Anaheim restaurant shows Lopez fighting with the cashier over the cash register key. Authorities said Lopez could not get the key and left. (FBI)
After his arrest, Lopez was released ahead of his trial but was re-arrested on April 30 on the federal robbery charge.
Following his guilty plea, Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.