Two men were arrested last week in connection to several armed robberies throughout the Los Angeles area, including one in Burbank, which allegedly took place on Jan. 6 after a masked man used a handgun while robbing jewelry from Macy’s on Cypress Avenue.
After fleeing the scene, police reported that the man escaped into an awaiting vehicle driven by another suspect.
The Burbank Police Department began an investigation into the robbery, in partnership with the Los Angeles Organized Retail Crime Task Force, a multicity initiative created to combat the rising trend of organized robberies, usually of department stores and high-end luxury retailers.
During the investigation, detectives connected the same two individuals to four additional armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery in the cities of Manhattan Beach, Downey, and Los Angeles, Burbank Police Department spokesman Sgt. Stephen Turner said.
Two men from Los Angeles, 32-year-old Ivory McFarland and 33-year-old Craig Stewart, were quickly identified as suspects in the robberies.
“Arrest warrants were issued for both men, who each have extensive violent criminal histories,” police said. “On Jan. 12, the Burbank Police Department Special Investigations Detail located McFarland in the 1200 block of Spring St., in the city of Los Angeles and took him into custody,” Turner said.
Then, on Jan. 17, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division and U.S. Marshals Task Force, Stewart was taken into custody in the 14000 block of Gault Street, in the city of Van Nuys, Turner said.
Evidence linking the two men to the crimes was located during their arrests, according to police.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed the case, charging McFarland with several counts of robbery and one count of assault with a firearm.
He is currently being held on $1.33 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 7.
Additionally, two counts of robbery were filed against Stewart, who was being held on $150,000 bail. He was scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 24.
This case remains under investigation by the Burbank, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach and Downey police departments.
“The Burbank Police Department is grateful for the partnership and collaborative working relationship with the Los Angeles Organized Retail Crime Task Force and other involved allied agencies. Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact the Burbank Police Department Detective Bureau at (818) 238-3210,” said Turner.
First published in the January 27 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
