California IN BRIEF : LEMON HEIGHTS : Man Charged as ‘Mercedes Robber’

A 60-year-old former car salesman, in debt to a Las Vegas casino and behind in payments on his Lemon Heights home, was charged Friday in Santa Ana with being the “Mercedes Robber,” a masked bandit who stole more than $36,000 from banks and fled each time in a luxury getaway car, FBI officials said. One of the banks holds the mortgage to his $750,000 home. George Christian Carr appeared in federal District Court on charges that he robbed banks in Irvine, Mission Viejo and Orange, the FBI said. The last robbery occurred Monday at a Great Western Bank in Irvine, officials said. Carr was arrested Thursday without incident at his home.