According to officials, a California jewelry store owner prevented a smash-and-grab robbery last week with a quick display of a firearm. The five suspects involved are believed to have pulled off a string of other similar robberies in the same area.
Four suspects barged into the Uptown Jewelry Mart armed with bear spray last Thursday afternoon, but the owner was armed with a more serious weapon. While the four fled into a getaway car driven by a fifth suspect after the owner threatened to shoot, police later received a tip, leading to four arrests about a day later.
The suspects involved in the attempted robbery were gang affiliates, said the police. The suspects have been identified as 30-year-old Jahaad Crawford, 30-year-old Gerald Kay, 29-year-old Dalon La Flora and 36-year-old Jonathan Williamson.
“The Upland P.D. initiated an investigation to identify and apprehend the suspects,” reported the Fontana Herald News. “While doing so, they were contacted by detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Chino Hills Station, who provided invaluable suspect information.”
“Through the Sheriff’s Department investigation, they had reason to believe these suspects were also responsible for other recent violent robberies in Claremont and Chino Hills,” they said. “Upland police also learned that most of the suspects involved in the robbery were associated with a local criminal street gang.”
“Five thugs tried to rob a jewelry store near 300 S. Mountain Ave.,” said Upland Police Chief Darren Goodman in a tweet. “Their attack was thwarted by the business owner who brandished a gun. [They] ran out of the business to a waiting car.”
SEE ALSO: Chicago Concealed Carrier Fatally Shoots Armed Thief Out on Parole for Weapons Charge
Goodman thanked the Upland Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office for assisting in the investigation and arrests.
None of the jewelry store customers or staff were seriously hurt in the attack, and police are still on the lookout for the fifth suspect.
None of these criminals are ever interested in getting a real job… hope they rot in the streets after they get out tomorrow…
This is why I left California, after 30 years of law enforcement service .(there nuts) !!!
I wouldn’t step foot in Calif. today if I was paid. 1st. I don’t want to lose my life over some ‘illegal’ thug.. 2nd. I don’t like the idea of stepping in poop when going out to dine or stepping on a drug addict used needle.. So, I’ll just stay home ~ which is getting bad enough since I’m a native of an adjacent state to this Calif. filth crossing-over to destroy things here – thanks to the fat-disgusting-wife-beating left radical governor..
Why am I not surprised with these criminals
All career criminal who have been groomed by organizations, organized crime or state sponsored, that benefit from criminal activity.
Commiefornia? Here we go–
Suspects will be released from custody within 24-hrs; no bail. Authorities will issue a public apology and offer of “reparations” for inconveniencing them. HUTA DA will say that since all 5 are members in good standing of a well-known street gang, and nothing was taken from the store, no charges will be filed.
Store owner will be subsequently arrested and charged with felonious assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment of store patrons. The 5 “victims” will file civil lawsuits seeking a total of $20million for their “pain & suffering” during and after the incident. Gov. Newsom calls for total ban on firearms in the interests of “public safety.”
Merchants associations should ask legislators to pass self defense laws that presume that “mob attacks” by three or more persons constitutes a deadly threat that in turn permits the use of deadly force to defend. Similar to the legal presumptions that exist in cases of car jacking, home invasion and attack with a deadly weapon.
I suspect that merchants that are victimized by smash and grab mobs are unsure of their right to use deadly force to defend their property against such attacks. Perhaps if they felt they were within the law shooting mob smash and grab attackers they would be less hesitant to open up.
“Disparity of force” is a well established legal justification for using deadly force against an attacker or attackers. Applying it to mob smash and grab attackers should not be much of a legal stretch.
There is an easy solution to these type of crimes, including looting, burning etc. Too many states have laws that do not allow one to use lethal force to protect their property. Solution. Allow citizens to use lethal force to protect business property. A persons business is their livelihood, which is the basis for their fitness well being (i.e., survival and reproduction). Make this single change, and all this “smash and grab” crap will go away.
On parole, on parole, on felony probation. Yep…good job with that california prison release program!
C’mon Chuck, how else do you expect the criminals to resume their on-the-job-training if they’re not allowed out of prison? Plus it saves the taxpayers the cost of keeping them there. And, they might suffer the social stigma of being booted from the gang due to “inactivity” if they’re kept behind bars.
Get with the program, fella, it’s working!
Let me quote US Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, ” When the gunman realizes that nobody else is armed, he will lay down his weapon and turn himself in…that’s just human nature.”
That is what you deal with for California politicians, and why a border wall needs to be erected on that state line too.
Funny part is, Diane used to have a CCW in CA, packed a little .38 revolver. This was when ONLY connected people could get CCW permits. She finally turned hers in after numerous call-outs of the blatant hypocrisy that runs rampant in our politicians.
It has long been my opinion that those who commit willful murder should be executed when found guilty. The taxpaying public and the murdered victim’s family should not bear the cost of keeping alive those who unlawfully took the lives of innocent others. Coddling murderers is no answer to crime control. How many untold millions of dollars are being wasted on keeping these types of criminals alive?
The sad thing is that as I read the article and type this comment, it is likely that these well coddled career criminals have already been released by the court to resume their criminal enterprises.
The judges responsible for such atrocities need to be held accountable.
I am surprised the citizen is not being charged with unlawful detainment. I am being facetious, but California is way too friendly to criminals. Now If, only the California courts would put theses thugs away for a long time…
What, and contribute to the disproportionately high black prison population? You know they’re all innocent victims of “white supremacist systemic racism.”
You should follow the wisdom of the High Priestess of Stupidity, AOC, and abolish prisons totally.