Teens arrested sprees of four armed robberies of pedestrians

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A young man and three teenage boys were arrested today after allegedly carrying out a spree of four armed muggings of pedestrians in City Heights and North Park over a period of less than 90 minutes.

The first robbery took place about 12:45 a.m. near the intersection of 35th Street and El Cajon Boulevard, and the second occurred a few minutes later in the area of Central Avenue and Wightman Street, according to San Diego police.

The four youthful perpetrators, at least one of them armed with a gun, fled in a vehicle following the crimes, Officer Dino Delimitros said.

The same group of bandits is believed to have committed another armed robbery that occurred at roughly 1:45 a.m. near the intersection of Kansas Street and Polk Avenue, and a fourth that played out about 15 minutes later in the 3200 block of University Avenue, the officer said.

No injuries were reported.

Patrol personnel tracked down the suspected robbers — 18-year-old Ernesto Lamarquez and three juveniles ages 15, 16 and 17 — in an alley off Highland Avenue, between Maple and Olive streets, and took them into custody without incident, public-affairs Officer Billy Hernandez said.

The boys’ names were withheld because they are minors.

Lamarquez was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of 10 counts each of robbery and conspiracy, and two counts of assault. He was being
held on $2.06 million bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.