Former officer, accomplice arrested in armored car heists

<p>A former Santa Rosa police officer was arrested Monday night as the suspected mastermind of four armored-truck heists used to finance a carefree lifestyle and start at least two indoor marijuana gardens.</p><p>Robert “Steve” Starling, 35, of Santa Rosa also is believed to have been involved in the anonymous phone threat March 18 that triggered a lockdown of Rancho Cotate High School and fueled near-panic among hundreds of parents. Police say the threat of a person on campus with a gun was intended to divert attention from a armored-car robbery that was aborted because of the massive police response to Rohnert Park.</p><p>Starling was held Tuesday in the Sonoma County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.</p><p>Police contend that Starling planned and was the gunman in three robberies since 2007 — two in Santa Rosa and one in Sebastopol — that netted at least $400,000, and a fourth robbery in Novato that yielded nothing, Sgt. Lisa Banayat said.</p><p>Evidence developed by the FBI, Santa Rosa Police and other agencies paint a portrait of a sophisticated operation that often involved ruses, disguises and diversionary tactics.</p><p>Starling had an accomplice in at least two of the robberies, detectives contend. Andrew Cooper Esslinger, 26, of Santa Rosa was arrested in connection with two of the holdups. He, too, was in jail Tuesday with bail set at $1 million.</p><p>Esslinger was believed to be a lookout and co-conspirator who was instrumental in helping create ruses they hoped would keep police officers occupied, said Sgt. Steve Fraga, who supervised the investigation.</p><p>On April 15 in Novato, police received an anonymous call that they later concluded was intended to divert their attention from the armored car robbery that occurred a short time later. </p><p>Starling is facing four felony charges of armed robbery with a gun enhancement for each count. He also was arrested on misdemeanor counts of suspicion of wearing a disguise and filing a false police report.</p><p>A handgun was used in each crime, but no shots were fired. In one case, the gunman posed as a gardener and carried a lawn trimmer as a prop. In the others, he was casually dressed in shorts.</p><p>In three of the four robberies, the gunman ordered the guards he held at gunpoint to “get down” on the ground in a commanding manner. Early on, investigators profiled the robber as very cop-like, said Fraga.</p><p>A fraction of the money has been recovered, but Fraga said the bulk of it was used for easy living, travel, a car, furniture and start-up costs for two marijuana gardens.</p><p>“Every day was Saturday,” Fraga said. “Some was just spent on everyday living and having a good time.”</p><p>Starling worked as a Santa Rosa police officer from December 2000 to April 2001 — a time he would have been on probation as a new hire and subject to dismissal for any reason.</p><p>He then was hired as a Sonoma State University police officer.</p><p>Sonoma State Police Chief Nate Johnson said Starling came to the department “with basic training” from the Santa Rosa Police Department and the Santa Rosa Junior College Police Academy.</p><p>“He was a good officer,” Johnson said of Starling. “He was fairly responsive to the needs of the campus.”</p><p>But Starling's tenure with the department lasted only two years. In May 2003 he returned to Santa Rosa Police as a patrol officer.</p><p>“I didn't understand the rationale for that and I thought it was a little odd,” Johnson said.</p><p>Three years later, Starling was back in Johnson's office asking for his job back, Johnson said. </p><p>Starling had again parted ways with the Santa Rosa Police Department and told Johnson he “wanted to be a part of a smaller community,” Johnson said.</p><p>Starling's ex-wife, Julia Starling of Santa Rosa, said he chose to quit Santa Rosa Police in July 2006 and was not forced out or fired.</p><p>“He loved being a cop,” she said. “He really liked helping people out. He really, really cared about youth. He had a hard childhood and he wanted to help kids out, trying to prevent things in their lives.”</p><p>If Starling loved his job, his commitment did not translate into exceptional or even satisfactory performance. Santa Rosa Police Chief Tom Schwedhelm, who worked in the department at the same time as Starling, said Starling's performance as a cop “wasn't meeting expectations.”</p><p>“He wasn't making it as a Santa Rosa police officer,” Schwedhelm said. “And he's not in our employment.” </p><p>Schwedhelm said Starling's alleged actions were “far outside the acceptable conduct” for law enforcement.</p><p>“I wouldn't use the word ‘surprised,'” he said. “I'm disappointed.”</p><p>Santa Rosa officers Tuesday expressed dismay that a law enforcement officer and former colleague turned up as a suspect.</p><p>“It's embarrassing. It's discouraging,” said Fraga. “However, it's also rewarding to be able to put a complex investigation like this together and bring someone like him to trial, who put a black mark on our profession.”</p><p>After leaving the Santa Rosa force for a second time and being turned down by the Sonoma State force, Starling earned a state license to work as a security guard, which he held for two years.</p><p>Julia Starling said he worked for several companies and organizations doing private security, including a period of time at a local hospital.</p><p>The robber's swagger made FBI agents initially wonder if he could have a background in law enforcement. “The fact that the (robber) used kind of a command presence, commands like ‘get down' in such an authoritative manner. They believed it was almost like a cop saying it,” Fraga said.</p><p>The robberies had other similarities. </p><p>In most cases, the gunman wore a cap and shorts. The physical descriptions were similar and the target always was an armored car during morning delivery rounds.</p><p>But it was cell phone calls that helped break the case.</p><p>Investigations into the first three robberies were well underway and not yielding much until last spring when traces of the cell phone call made in April to Novato police turned up Esslinger's name, Fraga said.</p><p>From Esslinger, the trail of calls led to Starling, said the sergeant. The FBI, which tracked the calls, came to Santa Rosa Police to ask about the man who had worked in the department.</p><p>Then, in May, the robber struck in Sebastopol, giving the investigation a new jolt. </p><p>Santa Rosa took the lead on the four cases and with help from the FBI, a team of as many as nine detectives began an intensified effort.</p><p>In the ensuing months the detectives developed enough leads to obtain arrest warrants after poring over financial records, telephone calls and surveillance that linked the two suspects, Fraga said. He declined to be specific about the financial evidence.</p><p>Arrest and search warrants were issued Friday. Detectives conducted seven searches Monday. The searches included two bank boxes, the suspects' Santa Rosa homes, a storage facility and two other Santa Rosa-area homes they were known to frequent.</p><p>Evidence of the two indoor marijuana gardens were found during the searches.</p><p>Esslinger was stopped at about 5 p.m. Monday while driving at Fourth Street and College Avenue.</p><p>Starling was stopped at about 9 p.m. at Carrillo Street and Mendocino Avenue. He was held at gunpoint and taken into custody without incident.</p><p>News researcher Michele Van Hoeck and Staff Writer Lori A. Carter contributed to this report.</p>