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Norco 80

Chapter 1: The Robbery

Norco 80

LAist Studios

True Crime

3.7889 Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2021

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

May 9th, 1980 began as a regular Friday in sleepy Norco, a small town about 48 miles east of Los Angeles, known mostly for its horse trails and old-western look. But around 3:30pm, five masked men with assault rifles robbed the Security Pacific Bank downtown.

Norco ‘80 is produced by LAist Studios in collaboration with Futuro Studios.

This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.com/LAist

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live.

This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Support for LISD comes from Pasadena Playhouse presenting Eureka Day.

0:04.6

Jonathan Spector's Razor Sharp 2025 Tony Award-winning satire.

0:09.1

Eureka Day is on stage at Pasadena Playhouse beginning September 10th.

0:13.2

Tickets are on sale now at Pasadenaplayhouse.org.

0:16.6

Music LAist Studios.

0:30.5

A quick warning.

0:31.7

Some of the series includes descriptions of graphic violence.

0:38.2

What's your full name?

0:39.8

George Smith.

0:41.0

Ronald Smith.

0:42.1

On the side of a mountain in Southern California, a bleeding man crawls from the

0:47.1

scragly rush.

0:48.8

A helicopter hovers above.

0:50.9

Where I'm tape recording the conversation, right?

0:54.0

Okay, he nodded his head.

0:57.7

Do you realize you have a bullet in your back?

1:01.3

You realize that, correct?

1:03.6

There's a possibility that you may die.

1:06.1

Do you realize that?

1:07.3

Yeah.

1:08.6

With that in mind, do you want to tell me anything about what happened? An officer cuffs the man. With that in mind, do you want to tell me anything about what happened?

1:13.2

An officer cuffs the man, and a detective immediately flips on a tape recorder.

...

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