LAPD task force arrests 3 men in connection with at least 5 follow-home robberies
The LAPD says its Follow Home Task Force has made three arrests in connection with several follow-home robberies since the start of this year.
Eric Wilson, 32; Jayon Sparks, 24; and 18-year-old Matthew Adams were arrested in a series of armed robberies across Los Angeles since at least January. The trio were identified by the Follow Home Task Force to "identify the associated crews of suspects."
The earliest known robbery the trio are suspected in occurred on Jan. 7, when a couple was returning to their West Hollywood home after dining at a high-end restaurant. Police say Adams and an unidentified suspect got into the elevator with the couple, and Adams forcibly took a watch, wallet, and cell phone from the man, while the other suspect pointed a gun at them. The trio are also suspected in another robbery committed that day in Burbank, where a man getting out of his car on Tufts Avenue gave up his property after approached by three men armed with guns, according to the LAPD.
A week later, police say Adams and an unidentified suspect approached two men walking to their hotel from a nightclub on La Cienega Boulevard and forcibly took their high-end watches and other property. The two men were British tourists on their first visit to Los Angeles.
On Jan. 20, Adams and Sparks, along with four or five more suspects, were armed with handguns when they robbed two men who were waiting for food on Sunset Boulevard, the LAPD said. The men were robbed of a watch, jewelry, cash, and a purse, and the robbery crew left the scene in three separate vehicles.
Adams was also identified in the robbery of two UCLA students on March 30, according to the LAPD. The students were outside a residence on Bentley Avenue in West Los Angeles at about 2:25 a.m. when police say they were approached by Adams and another suspect, both of whom were armed with guns. One of the students was pistol-whipped, and the suspects got away with their high-end watches and an iPhone, all worth an estimated $145,000.
Police say Sparks and Wilson were arrested on March 24, when police also recovered two firearms from inside their vehicle. A search warrant served on their apartment in the 7300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard recovered items from previous robberies and a number of weapons. Wilson was released on March 31 after posting bail, but Sparks remains in custody without bail. Both are scheduled to appear in court on April 26.
Adams, who the LAPD says has already been arrested three times this year for another robbery and weapons violations, was arrested during a traffic stop on March 31. He is being held on $450,000 bail and is scheduled appear in court on April 14.
Anyone with information about these robberies or other crimes involving these suspects can contact Detective Delph and Detective Hammer at (213) 486-6840.