Four out of Five Home Invasion Robbery Suspects Arrested

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, February 8, 1999
Home Invasion Robbery

A home invasion robbery occurred on Wednesday, February 3, 1999 at 10:45 p.m. in the area of Broadway and Manchester Boulevard. During the course of the robbery, two suspects knocked on the victim’s front door and asked for one of the residents by name. Believing that the two suspects were friends of one of the residents, they were let into the house. Upon entering the victims’ residence both suspects removed handguns, pointed them at the victims and demanded the keys to the victim’s truck. Two additional suspects, also armed with handguns, entered the victims’ residence and began to assist the other two suspects.

During the course of the robbery, victims were bound, forced down onto the floor and searched at gunpoint. The suspects removed the victim’s vehicle keys, money and additional property and fled the location. A fifth suspect who was waiting outside the victims’ house joined the four suspects and all five suspects fled the area in the victims’ truck.

Immediately after the suspects left, the victims flagged down a passing police car and advised them that they had just been robbed. Officers put out a crime broadcast alerting additional units to the suspects and stolen vehicle description. Police units began to search the area and located the victims truck parked and unoccupied in the area of 92nd Street and Broadway. Officers surveillanced the parked vehicle and shortly thereafter observed three individuals exit an apartment complex adjacent to the vehicle. Officers noted that the three individuals matched the description of the robbery suspects. The three individuals got into another truck driven by a fourth individual who also matched the description of one of the robbery suspects.

Officers conducted a traffic stop on the four occupants and they were detained. During a search of their truck, officers recovered a loaded handgun used in the robbery and the victims’ keys.

Officers arrested Angel Martinez 19 years, Erwin Barillas 19 years, Fernando Sanchez 19 years and one minor. A fifth suspect remains outstanding.

For Release 7:55 am PST
February 8, 1999