New Trial Denied in Officer’s Case

A Superior Court judge on Monday denied a motion for a new trial in the case of Michael S. Fagan, a former Santa Paula reserve police officer convicted of armed robbery in May.

Fagan, 27, faces a possible term of five years in prison at a sentencing scheduled Friday. But Judge Rebecca Riley said she would probably sentence Fagan to probation, according to John Vanarelli, a deputy district attorney.

Fagan, of Simi Valley, was arrested in December 1996 and accused of holding up the K mart discount store on Faulkner Road in Santa Paula, where he also worked as an undercover security guard. At the time, he was a reserve officer in Santa Paula, serving on the department’s high-risk entry team, similar to a SWAT team.

Authorities said Fagan hid in the store until after midnight, then threatened two female employees with a handgun before taking several bags of money.

In a trial last year, a jury deadlocked on the armed-robbery charge and acquitted Fagan of threatening a witness. In the retrial, Fagan was charged only with armed robbery.