Three suspects were arrested Friday, Feb. 16, in connection to several armed robberies, including two robberies at two separate 7-Eleven businesses in Burbank.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 2, a man armed with a handgun entered the 7-Eleven convenience store on Burbank Boulevard.
“The suspect pointed a firearm at the store clerk and forced him behind the counter,” said Burbank Police Department spokesman Sgt. Stephen Turner. “The suspect ordered the clerk to open the register and then removed the cash. The suspect also took the clerk’s wallet before fleeing.”
The suspect was at large for about a week before allegedly committing another robbery at a 7-Eleven on North Hollywood Way.
Police said the crime took place on Feb. 8, just after midnight. They reported two suspects entered the business and pointed a handgun at the clerk. One suspect removed the clerk’s wallet and then ordered him to open both cash registers. Both suspects removed cash from the registers and fled, according to police.
“Burbank Police detectives investigating these robberies identified the vehicle used in the commission of the crimes and learned the same suspects were most likely responsible for at least eight additional armed robberies in Los Angeles and Orange counties,” Turner said.
With the assistance of the Burbank Police Helicopter, Burbank Police detectives located and established a surveillance of the suspect vehicle on Feb. 13. Around midnight, the vehicle, occupied by three suspects, drove to the City of Downey where they attempted to commit a robbery at a donut shop and fled the scene in the car.
Detectives contacted the donut shop clerk and confirmed the suspects indeed attempted to commit an armed robbery while inside. The suspects were followed to West Los Angeles, where they were stopped by Burbank Police detectives. The suspects were arrested near Arlington Avenue and Pico Boulevard in the Arlington Heights area.
At the time of the stop, the suspects were wearing the same distinct clothing and were in possession of the same handgun used in the prior robberies, Turner said.
The suspects have been identified as a 48-year-old Los Angeles resident, a 34-year-old Lancaster resident and a 22-year-old Long Beach resident. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office filed six counts of robbery and attempted robbery on the suspects.
“The Burbank Police Department is grateful for the collaborative effort with multiple law enforcement agencies, to include the Los Angeles, Glendale Tustin, Torrance and Downey police departments which assisted with this investigation. Many hours of follow-up investigation and surveillance resulted in the safe apprehension of the suspects,” Turner said.
First published in the February 24 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
