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3 Arrested After San Rafael Home Invasion Robbery

SAN RAFAEL (CBS SF) -- Three men are in custody and police are searching for a fourth suspect after a home invasion robbery led to a manhunt throughout San Rafael Friday evening, police said.

Police received a report about a home invasion robbery on Sea Way at 5:30 p.m. The woman caller said several men, including one man armed with a gun, forced their way into her home and then fled in a car, police said.

Two minutes after the call, an officer on Third Street saw a car containing four men matching descriptions of the robbers. The officer looked into the car and saw the passengers ducking down to hide from view. The officer then drove behind the car on Union Street when the driver abruptly stopped and all four suspects jumped out of the car and ran away, police said.

Two suspects were caught and taken into custody immediately while a third suspect ran into an apartment complex at 302 Fourth Street. Witnesses told police the fourth suspect was running north on Union Street, according to police.

The area was immediately shut down and police officers from throughout Marin County responded to assist in the search for the two remaining suspects.

The third suspect was found hiding under a car in a parking lot at 302 Fourth Street and was taken into custody at 7:50 p.m., police said.

The search for the fourth suspect was called off at 9:30 p.m. although he had not been found.

Police described the at-large suspect as a black man, about 20 to 25 years old, standing from about 5 feet 8 inches to five feet 10 inches tall with extremely short hair that looks almost shaved. He was reported wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes.

About 50 officers responded to the search including SWAT teams from the San Rafael Police Department, Marin County Sheriff's Office and Twin Cities Police. For several hours a Novato Police K9 unit and California Highway Patrol helicopter combed the area, searching for the suspects, according to police.

The robbery victim was not injured.

Three of the suspects were arrested, but have not been identified, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at (415) 485-3000 or contact the department through the Silent Witness program at www.srpd.org. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or visit www.bayareacrimestoppers.com.

(Copyright 2011 by CBSSan Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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