Lee Roberts

Lee was born and raised in Gastonia, NC. His father died in a construction accident when Lee was fourteen. His mom had to support the entire family and Lee quit school when he was sixteen to work full-time to help her.

Lee moved with a buddy to Atlanta, GA and worked in a warehouse. After four months, he moved back to NC. Lee spent Friday and Saturday nights cruising three drive-ins in town. He had a “hot rod Ford Falcon.” Because of his driving, he received thirty-seven citations and a warrant for his arrest. He was caught and the judge he went before was a major in the Marine Corps. The judge offered him a choice of the Marine Corps or Juvenile Hall.

In 1965, Lee turned seventeen and joined the Marines. After three days at Perris Island for basic training, Lee and a new friend decided they’d had enough. They hid in the surrounding swamps for three days eluding capture. They were captured and transported back to base in the trunk of a vehicle. They were told this was their last chance to change their lives.

Lee’s friend assaulted a drill instructor and received a dishonorable discharge. Lee took it to heart and made the change graduating from basic as a squad leader. Lee attended jump and rigger schools. He went to Camp Pendleton as a jump school instructor for Force Recon Marines.

After three years, Lee got out of the Marines and contacted a girl from NC who was living in Los Alamitos. He had dated her prior to joining the Marines. Her name is Vernon and they eventually moved in together. She convinced Lee to go back to school. Lee graduated from Long Beach Evening High School and then began taking courses at Long Beach City College. Lee didn’t know what to major in. A friend suggested that since he had Marine Corps background he should major in criminal justice. Lee did and then applied at both Long Beach PD and Newport Beach PD. Both called him and he chose Newport Beach. He went to the LAPD Academy with Kent Stoddard, Don Cotts, Mike Sullivan, Ron Rodgers and Jim Carson. Lee was a squad leader and a recruit in his squad was Eddie Haskell of “Leave it to Beaver.”

Approximately six months after being hired, he was called into Lt. Laurin’s office. He was told that he was living with a woman he was not married to and to either get married or move out. Lee considered his options and moved out. On November 11, 1972, the Marine Corps birthday, Lee and Vernon were married. Lee was required to provide Lt. Laurin with a copy of his marriage license in order to move back in with Vernon.

In 1980, Lee was interviewing a burglary suspect in the Jail and heard Custodial Officer Nelson Ferguson in a fight with a drunk. Lee assisted Nelson and while attempting to “choke out” the drunk he slipped and fell with the drunk landing on top of him. Lee

injured his back and never returned to work. He had two back surgeries and had three disks removed.

Lee was retired medically. He then started Roberts Investigations and Protection in 1986.

Lee retired in August 2005 and he and Vernon moved to their farm in North Carolina approximately twenty miles from where he grew up. They have 59 acres and raise ducks, wild turkeys and peacocks. They will be celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary this week.