60s crack in Redlands heist...

Police arrest jewelry thieves

JESSE B. GILL, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/01/2009 11:25:55 PM PDT

REDLANDS - Police arrested six people Saturday connected to an armed robbery at Redlands Jewelers.
Two men entered Redlands Jewelers at the intersection of Fifth Street and Citrus Avenue shortly before 4 p.m. Saturday. They were armed with a handgun and demanded jewelry, according to a press release issued by Redlands city spokesperson Carl Baker.

The robbers were members of the Rollin'60s Crips gang out of Los Angeles, said Police Sgt. Mike Reiss. They escaped with a large amount of jewelry.

"How they picked this jewelry store, I still don't know," Reiss said.

A witness followed the robbers and saw them get into a gray Lexus with two women in the front seat.

Patrol officers spotted the vehicle a short distance away and pulled it over at the intersection of Citrus Avenue and University Street.

Police held the two women in the vehicle - Christina Christina Annamarie Amarante, 33, of Fontana, and Bonnie Elaine Brandon, 38, of Perris - for questioning and later arrested them according to Baker's press release. Police did not find the men inside the Lexus.

Investigators determined the robbers had changed vehicles when they were met by two other men in a green 2001 Ford Focus.

Members of the Redlands Police Department's Multiple Enforcement Team (MET) tracked the four men to a home in the Los Angeles area only to find out that they were staying in a home in Perris. MET officers arrested all four of the men in Perris at about 6:45 a.m. Sunday.
Police recovered the gun along with some of the stolen property, according to Baker's press release.

"This was an outstanding piece of police work," Chief Jim Bueermann said. "These were some very violent offenders."

Police arrested Damon Travis Searcy, 22, of San Marcos, Marquis Joshua Wilson, 20, of Los Angeles, Muhammad Ali Nazif Nassar, 22, of Carson for robbery and conspiracy. Amarante and Brandon were also charged with robbery and conspiracy.

Searcy, Wilson and Nassar were also charged with acting in furtherance of a criminal street gang. Travon Dante Hassan, 32, of Los Angeles, was arrested for possession of stolen property and parole violation, according to Baker's press release.

The MET normally works proactively on Redlands' streets to fight crime before it occurs, but because some its members have experience in investigations, the team frequently investigates crimes after they happen.

"We actually do quite a bit of that," Reiss said.

Bueermann said the MET is an example of what Redlands police can do with a small amount of information and the experience to investigate.

"This is the difference between most police departments and us," Bueermann said. "Most police departments would have just shipped it over to the detectives for them to handle on Monday."

But time was of the essence, Bueermann said. Just like in a murder investigation, MET officers had to use the little information they had before the suspects were able to go into hiding.

"When you get a workable lead, you have to run with it," Bueermann said.

Detectives are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Rob Williams at (909) 798-7688 or Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681.