Robbery Suspects Use Pepper Spray In Torrance Nordstrom, Lead Police On Chase

TORRANCE (CBSLA) – Four suspects were captured after allegedly using pepper spray during a robbery at a Nordstrom store in a Torrance mall Monday afternoon, and then leading police on a pursuit that ended in a crash.

Jeffrey Wright, 18, Aaron Flenoy, 18, Ahmad Jones, 20, and a 16-year-old boy were taken into custody on charges of conspiracy and robbery, Torrance police report.

The incident began at 3:45 p.m. when officers were dispatched to a report of several suspects stealing purses and spraying people with pepper spray at a Nordstrom store at Del Amo Fashion Center in the 21500 block of Hawthorne Boulevard.

The suspects escaped in a vehicle, but with the help of witnesses, officers were able to locate the car, which prompted a short pursuit. The vehicle then was involved in a minor collision and four suspects were arrested, police said.

Several people were treated at the store for pepper spray exposure, two of whom required transport to a hospital, police report.

The Torrance Fire Department also treated several people for minor injuries at the scene of the crash. The exact circumstances of the crash, the number of vehicles involved and the number of injured were not disclosed.