Police: Pot, news clip cause arrest

Police said a man initially arrested on suspicion of drug possession has been linked to a Westminster robbery after police found a newspaper article about the incident in his pocket.

Jose Guillermo Hernandez, 23, was booked on suspicion of robbery in Westminster Thursday night, hours after Newport Beach police stopped him on Balboa Boulevard in a car alleged to be reeking of marijuana.

Westminster police Lt. Bill Lewis said it all started Tuesday morning when an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was nearly robbed at a Chase bank ATM in Westminster.

The deputy was taking out money when a man approached him and pulled a gun demanding cash.

The deputy was armed too, and pulled out his gun and shot at the robber, Lewis said. The man got away and wasn’t hit, Lewis said.

Two days later in Newport Beach, officers pulled over a speeding 2005 Nissan Altima at D Street and East Balboa Boulevard that had a brake light out, said Sgt. Evan Sailor.

When officers walked up to the vehicle, it smelled of marijuana, he said.

Police searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine on Hernandez, Sailor said.

They also found a newspaper article in his pocket with an account of the Westminster stick-up and gang writing scrawled across the paper, Sailor said.

Officers contacted Westminster police, thinking it might be related, he said.

Westminster detectives came down to Newport Beach, concluded Hernandez was their man and took him into custody, Lewis said.

Hernandez is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.