5 Northern California residents arrested after armed robbery, pursuit in Beverly Hills

Five Northern California residents were arrested following an armed robbery and a pursuit in Beverly Hills on Thursday. 

The robbery happened at around 4:50 p.m. in the 8600 block of Wilshire Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department. 

Investigators say that the five suspects, three men and two teenage boys, approached a victim and held them at gunpoint while demanding their Rolex watch. 

A city employee reportedly witnessed the robbery and called police, who responded to the area. They were able to identify the suspects' car. 

Despite stopping when officers attempted to pull them over, the driver instead fled, initiating the chase. 

With the help of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter crew, ground units followed the car into Hollywood, where all five suspects jumped out of the car and fled on foot near Afton Place and North El Centro Avenue. 

"BHPD officers and officers from the LAPD Hollywood Division quickly established a containment," said a statement from Beverly Hills police. "After the search, all five suspects were arrested and evidence related to the crime was recovered from the vehicle."

The suspects have since been identified as Oakland residents Xavier Ford, 18, Gangster Lawson, 23 and Nasir Blocker, 18. Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17 years old, were not identified due to their age. 

Ford and Lawson were booked on suspicion of assault with a firearm and conspiracy, while Blocked was booked on suspicion of robbery.