A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store in Anaheim Hills that led to vehicle crashes in Anaheim and Fullerton, police said Tuesday.
The arrest of the juvenile from South Gate happened at about 2:15 p.m. Friday in Lynwood, but did not occur in connection with any illegal immigration enforcement, according to Sgt. Matt Sutter of the Anaheim Police Department.
Video of the arrest had surfaced on social media and led to speculation that it might have involved federal officers, Sutter said.
The teen, who has previous arrests on suspicion of violent crimes, was wanted on a warrant for an unrelated case, Sutter said. He was caught following a brief chase on foot that involved him running into a home, prompting residents to flee, then twice attempting to carjack motorists in the area, Sutter said.
Police allegedly found a gun, ski masks and an electronic device used as a tool to steal cars in the suspect’s vehicle.
The suspect, whose name was not released, was injured in the arrest and treated at an area hospital before being booked into Juvenile Hall in Orange County, Sutter said.
Seven men were charged in the case last week.
Police were sent to Classic Jewelers, at 5753 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, near the Riverside (91) Freeway and Imperial Highway, at about 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 23. Employees said a Nissan Rogue compact crossover SUV rammed the front entrance. A gun belonging to someone in the business was stolen from behind a counter, police said.
The robbers fled in two separate Dodge Chargers and abandoned the 2017 Nissan Rogue, police said. All the vehicles were reported stolen, according to court records.
An police officer saw one of the vehicles near East Street and the 91 Freeway and followed it but did not give chase or attempt to pull the driver over, police said. The driver crashed into multiple vehicles as while approaching Orangethorpe Avenue, prompting three of the suspects to try to run away, police said.
Officers in an Anaheim police helicopter tracked down the second suspected getaway car in Fullerton near Harbor and Brea boulevards, police said. That car was also involved in a multi-vehicle crash near Euclid Street and Malvern Avenue in Fullerton, they added.
Two suspects were arrested following that crash, police said. Two other suspects were also arrested nearby several hours later.
Several other victims involved in the crashes were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said.
The other defendants are Leontrey Gipson, 23, of Los Angeles; Khamari Toles, 20, of Inglewood; Latrell Matthews, 19, of Los Angeles; Deondre Jones, 23, of Los Angeles; Jose Martinezcolindre, 24; Tylaind Brown, 20, of Compton; and Khilen Toles, 20, of Inglewood.