News release
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies and detectives have successfully taken three suspects into custody, linking multiple felony cases across Santa Clarita, according to a news release from the station.
The release provided the following accounts of the incidents and subsequent arrests:
On Jan. 26, a male and female suspect committed an “Estes Robbery” at a business on the 19100 block of Golden Valley Road. The suspects, identified as a 45-year-old man from Canyon Country and a 31-year-old woman from Van Nuys, forcefully took merchandise and fled the scene. A warrant was subsequently issued for their arrests.
According to Capt. Justin Diez of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, an “Estes robbery” can escalate a theft to felony status: “If loss prevention or any employee tries to stop them, and they fight with loss prevention, it then goes from a larceny theft … to a felony robbery, which is called an ‘Estes’ robbery,” Diez said in January when discussing local crime trends.
On Feb. 13, the female suspect shoplifted from a retail store in Valencia and was later identified.
The following day, Friday, she attempted another robbery at a department store in Valencia. During this incident, loss prevention personnel detained her, but she brandished a firearm in an attempt to escape. Deputies responded, took her into custody, and worked with the Detective Bureau to confirm her identity as the suspect from the prior robbery.
She was arrested on multiple felony charges, including robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia. She remains in custody as of the publication of the news release.
Just a few days later, on Monday, deputies with the SCV Crime Impact Team located and arrested the outstanding male suspect on his robbery warrant. During a subsequent search of his residence, deputies recovered a second firearm, ammunition, and controlled substances, according to the release.
He was arrested on suspicion of felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition and possession of a controlled substance.
During the investigation, deputies discovered that the male suspect had contacted his brother, instructing him to destroy evidence, the release said. As a result, a 41-year-old man from Mission Hills was arrested on suspicion of concealing evidence and being an accessory to a crime.
All three suspects remain in custody as of the publication of the news release, and as of Wednesday morning, SCV Sheriff’s Station detectives presented the case to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The case includes 12 felony charges and six misdemeanors spanning multiple incidents.
