TEMPLE CITY (CNS) – Three men were in custody today in connection with a
home-invasion robbery in Duarte and several residential burglaries, and
authorities asked today that any other victims come forward.
The Duarte robbery occurred on March 4, when four suspects driving a
“high-end luxury SUV” pulled into the victim’s driveway, got out of the
vehicle and approached the home, a sheriff’s statement said. The location was
not revealed.
“As the suspects neared the home, they encountered a resident who was
working in his carport,” sheriff’s officials said. “A brief struggle ensued
with the victim and one suspect as the other suspects forced entry into the
home.”
The suspects encountered a female resident inside, and she was
“assaulted, hit, and kicked,” according to officials. “The intruders quickly
entered a bedroom and stole valuables. As the suspects fled the home one of the
suspects attempted to carjack a vehicle from a passerby who had stopped in
front of the home noticing the commotion.”
“During their investigation, detectives were able to locate and
identify the suspects’ vehicle and identify three of the four suspects believed
to be responsible for the violent robbery, as well as two additional
residential burglaries and two attempted residential burglaries nearby on the
same day,” sheriff’s officials said.
Detectives said they also determined that the suspects had been involved
in numerous additional residential burglaries throughout Los Angeles County,
including in Arcadia, Downey, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Glendora and Los
Angeles.
The investigation was conducted by detectives from the sheriff’s Major
Crimes Bureau’s Burglary-Robbery Task Force, formed six years ago to combat
organized crews committing daytime, residential burglaries.
The task force supports all Los Angeles County sheriff’s stations’
detective bureaus, as well as other Southern California law enforcement
agencies.
“Typically known as `knock-knock’ burglars, these crews, often formed
by gang members, utilize high-end luxury vehicles to blend into a middle class
and affluent neighborhoods where they break into homes ransacking and stealing
valuables such as cash, jewelry, and weapons,” sheriff’s officials said.
Four days after the Duarte home invasion, Timothy Johnson, 29, of Los
Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of burglary by Pasadena police. He was
convicted in May and sentenced to four years in state prison, a sheriff’s
statement said.
“Although suspect Johnson is currently imprisoned … detectives filed
two additional charges of robbery, one charge of attempted carjacking and six
charges of residential burglary, plus a criminal street terrorism act
enhancement against him,” the statement said. “He will face a maximum prison
sentence of over 180 years if convicted. The bail amount on the new charges is
$1.04 million.”
On June 14, Los Angeles resident Ronald Johnson, 24 — who is not
related to Timothy Johnson — was arrested by deputies at Los Angeles Airport
Courthouse.
“Ironically, he was at the court appearing on another residential
burglary charge from a recent arrest by Beverly Hills police … (and he) faces
13 new charges of residential burglary, two counts of robbery, and a criminal
street terrorism act enhancement,” the statement said. “He faces a maximum
prison sentence of over 200 years, if convicted, and is a third strike
candidate. Suspect Johnson is being held in lieu of $1.42 million bail.”
On March 18, Los Angeles resident Dion Smith, 24, was arrested by
Compton Courthouse deputies. He was charged with two counts of robbery, one
count of attempted carjacking, and eight counts of residential burglary, plus a
criminal street terrorism act enhancement. He faces a maximum prison sentence
of over 165 years if convicted, and is a third strike candidate. He is being
held in lieu of $1.04 million bail.
Anyone who may have been victimized by the burglary crew was urged to
call authorities.
Home broken into? Sheriff may have nabbed the bad guys and wants your help
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