5 Arrested After Mini Robbery Spree

Los Angeles police arrested five young men suspected of robbing customers outside three service stations early Wednesday morning.

The mini crime spree, which lasted only 20 minutes, ended when the suspects crashed their vehicle after a 30-minute car chase, police said.

Anthony Lopez, 21, of Pacoima, Jose Dominguez, 19, of Mission Hills, Jose Servin, 19, of Pacoima, and two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Two of the suspects were located by police dogs after the chase, and several wallets belonging to the robbery victims were found after the suspects were arrested, police said.

LAPD Det. Ken Crocker said some of the suspects may face additional charges, including evading arrest, reckless driving and assaulting a police officer.

The robberies started at 12:50 a.m. when five men in a brown American-made car drove into a station in the 17900 block of Devonshire Street and threatened customers with beer bottles, police said. At least one of the men also pretended to brandish a gun at the victims by pointing his finger through his jacket pocket, according to authorities.

Two other robberies occurred at service stations in the 19300 block of Parthenia Street and at the corner of Corbin Avenue and Nordhoff Street, police said.

“They stole over $1,000,” Crocker said. “They took some jewelry off of a woman.”

After the last robbery, at about 1:10 a.m., Crocker said police officers spotted a car fitting the description of the robbers’ getaway vehicle and chased it from Northridge to Pacoima, where it crashed in the 13200 block of Terra Bella Street.

Lopez, Dominguez and Servin are being held in the Devonshire Jail in lieu of $140,489, $105,000 and $105,000 bail, respectively, according to authorities. The two youths are being held in Sylmar Juvenile Hall.