4 Arrested In Violent Santa Cruz Street Robbery
SANTA CRUZ (CBS SF) -- Four men from Sacramento were arrested Saturday in connection with a Santa Cruz robbery in which a male victim was punched several times and had gold chains ripped from his neck, police said Wednesday.
Santa Cruz police arrested Yahir Alejandro Chavez, 22, Shane Fitzgerald Montue, 21, Lenel James David Randolph, 23, and Alphonse Gomez Ramirez, 22, all of Sacramento, on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, Deputy Chief Steve Clark said.
The male victim reported that he was robbed at about 3:10 p.m. Saturday on West Cliff Drive near Sunset Avenue in Santa Cruz, Clark said.
Minutes earlier, the four suspects had approached the victim in a parking lot in downtown Santa Cruz and asked him for directions.
The victim then drove his car to West Cliff Drive near Sunset, where he parked his car. He told police that the suspects intentionally followed him there, Clark said.
At least two of the four suspects then attacked him, punched him several times and ripped the gold chain necklaces he was wearing from his neck, Clark said.
The victim, who recognized the suspects from their contact with him earlier, tried to fight back and ran after them to their getaway car, according to police.
One of the suspects, Chavez, then drove the other suspects away in a black 2007 Chevrolet HHR wagon, police said.
After the victim contacted police, officers broadcast a description of the suspect vehicle to area law enforcement agencies. The California Highway Patrol spotted the wagon heading south on state Highway 1, Clark said.
The suspects tried to flee for a short distance but eventually pulled over near a rest stop, where CHP officers captured them and turned them over to Santa Cruz police.
Police later learned that Randolph and Montue were on active parole and arrested them for violating parole, Clark said.
Ramirez was also arrested on suspicion of false impersonation after he tried to use his brother's identity when he was arrested, Clark said.
The robbery victim was recovering from minor to moderate injuries he sustained during the robbery, Clark said.
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