ARCADIA >> Police jailed two Pasadena men accused of punching a security guard and threatening him with pepper spray after being caught shoplifting from a sporting goods store at an Arcadia shopping mall Sunday, officials said.
The robbery took place just before 12:40 p.m. at Sport Chalet inside Westfield Santa Anita, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Tom Cullen said.
A security guard spotted two young men fill a backpack with items from the store and leave, the lieutenant said. The security guard chased after them as they ran to a black Honda Civic in the parking lot.
“The loss prevention (officer) caught up to them at a vehicle,” Cullen said. “At that point, one or both of them struck the loss prevention officer.”
The robbers threatened the security guard with pepper spray, though he was not sprayed with the inflammatory agent, as was initially reported to be the case, the lieutenant said. The security guard suffered no significant injuries.
Cullen said the two suspects fled in the Honda, but someone was able to provide police with a description of the getaway car.
Officers found a car matching the description driving nearby on Colorado Boulevard, police said. The driver refused to pull over, initiating a brief chase.
Police pursued the Honda west until the suspects stopped were taken into custody at Corta Calle and Buff Avenue, Cullen said.
Some stolen items were recovered from the suspects, Cullen said. Officials found the suspects’ backpack discarded back at the mall, the lieutenant said. It contained primarily clothing taken from the store.
Dominique Javan Jones, 20, and Royce Lee Emerson Camp, 18, both of Pasadena, were booked on suspicion of robbery, police said.
The alleged driver, Jones, is also accused of evading police and driving without a license, Cullen said. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from a previous vandalism case.
Jones was being held in lieu of $105,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, while Camps was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.