Newport Man Pleads Not Guilty to Jewelry Store Robbery

A Newport Beach man accused of stealing an expensive watch from a Westminster jewelry store and trying to sell it several days later plead not guilty this week, Orange County court records show.

Travis John Lambright, 32, was arrested Monday on suspicion of robbery. On Wednesday Lambright pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of second degree robbery and one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon or force likely to produce great bodily injury, according to court records.

The charges against Lambright stem from a robbery at the Tick Tock watch and jewelry store in the Asian Garden Mall on Bolsa Avenue in Westminister on Friday, Sept.13, police reported.

Lambright allegedly asked to see a high-end watch and fled with it, prompting the owner to chase after him, according to Westminster police. The business owner fired several rounds during the chase, but nobody was hit, authorities said.

Police said Lambright tried to sell a stolen Omega watch, valued at $9,400, at a store in Tustin about 3 p.m. Monday. Westminster police Officer Alan Aoki said a store employee who had read a news story about the Friday robbery thought there could be a connection and called police.

Lambright will return to court on on Sept. 30 for a preliminary hearing.

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