WALNUT — Two men and two teenage girls were arrested Tuesday after an alleged robbery spree with the help of one of the alleged victims and some good Samaritans, authorities said.
Anthony Peter Romero, 20, of La Puente, Richard Enrique Cardenas, 18, of Valinda, a 15-year-old El Monte girl and a 16-year-old El Monte girl were booked on suspicion of a total of 10 robberies and one grand theft person, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Detective Joe Wright said.
At least one of the suspects is also suspected in two other recent robberies at Mt. San San Antonio College, Lt. Joe Maxey said.
Wright said three of the four suspects were arrested in a vehicle near the scene of the alleged crimes.
“(He) was seen half a block west of there by one of the victims, chased down, sprayed with pepper spray and detained,” he said.
Some athletic young men assisted in detaining the suspect but did not stay around to give their information, he added.
“When we got there, they had him detained,” Wright said. His gun was on he ground. There were bullets in his pockets.”
Tuesday’s alleged robbery spree began shortly before 5 p.m. when Cardenas reportedly robbed three couples at gunpoint in Creekside Park as the other three suspects allegedly waited in the vehicle.
After that, the suspects reportedly headed to a shopping center at the corner of Amar Road and Grand Avenue, where they continued their spree, the detective said.
The suspects allegedly snatched a camera from a man sitting at a Burger King restaurant, Wright said, then robbed a customer in front of a nearby Starbucks and three people in a nearby church parking lot at gunpoint.
After Cardenas was chased down, property belonging to all of the victims in Tuesday’s robberies were found in his possession, the detective said.
Romero, who allegedly acted as the driver in Tuesday’s robbery spree and stole the camera, was later identified as the robber in two robberies in the parking lot of Mt. San Antonio College last week, Wright said.
None of the alleged victims were injured, he said.
According to court records, Cardenas and Romero were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each. They were due to be arraigned Thursday at Pomona Superior Court, however court officials said Thursday afternoon the men had not yet appeared.
*Cardenas pictured top, Romero pictured bottom. Photos courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.