Public Tip Leads to Arrest, Female Accomplice Identified

Los Angeles: Video footage of a man-and-woman robbery team led to an anonymous tip and the arrest of the male half of the team. The woman has also been identified.

On March 3, 2006, the Los Angeles Police Department released video surveillance footage of a woman shoplifting hundreds of dollars worth of cosmetics. The theft occurred in the downtown Robinson’s May department store in Los Angeles on the day after Christmas, last year. The woman’s male accomplice was seen on security footage holding security officers at bay with a gun.

A couple of days after the story was broadcast, an anonymous tipster phoned the Central Police Station, identifying the male suspect as Caesar Ray Martinez, 31.

“When the detectives checked Martinez’s criminal record, it looked like a jackpot,” said Lieutenant Paul Vernon. “Martinez had a long criminal history, mostly involving property crimes. When detectives pulled his photo and compared it to the video tape, they were sure they had their man.”

Detectives sought an arrest warrant and found Martinez was already in custody. On March 23, 2006, Newton police officers answered a burglary-in-progress call in the 2100 block of Griffith Avenue. Martinez was detained, along with a woman, and ultimately arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Martinez had a .22 caliber handgun in his jacket pocket.

Detectives are now asking the public’s help in locating Martinez’s accomplice from the Robinson’s May shoplifting-robbery incident. She has been identified as Laura Marin.

Marin is a 25-year-old Hispanic. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall, and weighs 120 pounds. Her last known address was La Puente, California.

Detectives discovered that Martinez and Marin continued on their crime spree after the December robbery. They were both arrested on January 23, 2006, by the California Highway Patrol, for driving a stolen car.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Cora Handayan at 213-972-1245. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).