Suspects wanted in San Diego robbery spree

SAN DIEGO - San Diego police are searching for three people wanted in the robbery of a Carmel Mountain Ranch restaurant and seven other businesses in the city, authorities said.

The robbers have targeted eight fast-food restaurants and cell phone businesses since the robbery spree began last July, including the Carmel Mountain Ranch holdup in August, said Monica Munoz, spokeswoman for the San Diego Police Department. The most recent holdup was Feb. 1.

The suspects - described as two men and one woman, all Latino and in their 20s - typically enter businesses shortly after they open and force employees to the rear of the store or to the cash register, demanding money, Munoz said. One of them usually carries a semiautomatic handgun, she said.

One person usually watches the remaining employees while the others take the cash, Munoz said. The robbers also force the employees to the ground and use zip ties to bind their hands, she said.

The first suspect is described as a 20- to 26-year-old man, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7 and 150 to 170 pounds. He has a normal build and wears a baseball hat or a hooded sweat shirt with the hood up. The second suspect is described as a 25- to 30-year-old man, 5-foot-8 to 6-feet and 200 pounds. He also wears a baseball hat or hooded sweat shirt.The third suspect is a 24- to 26-year-old woman with a normal build and shaved eyebrows that are penciled in.

Anyone with information on the robberies is asked to call the San Diego Police robbery unit at (619) 531-2200 or Crime Stoppers' anonymous, toll-free tip line at (888) 580-TIPS. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 leading to an arrest.


