2 Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested In San Jose: Police

SAN JOSE, CA — Two San Jose suspects were booked into Santa County County Jail Friday following an investigation into an armed robbery at a 76 gas station June 4 in which one of the men fired at a customer trying to interrupt the robbery, the San Jose Police Department reported.

Officers responded to the gas station at 2101 N. 1st St. in San Jose on a report of an armed robbery with shots fired. The caller reported the suspect robbed a customer in the parking lot, then robbed the cashier. A second customer interrupted the robbery and fled from the store after the suspect, police said.

The suspect, later identified as Lenard Terry Hall, 20, chased the second customer and fired several shots at him but missed.

When the call was broadcast over the radio, some officers were on an unrelated car stop of a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot nearby. Officers discontinued their investigation, released the driver and responded to the robbery. They located Hall hiding in the bushes across the street, and apprehended him with the assistance of a San Jose police K9, per a San Jose report.

According to police, a check of Hall’s criminal history revealed he was responsible for a string of eight armed robberies in late 2016-2017. Detectives looked into other similar unsolved robberies and identified two additional robberies connected to Hall. Detectives served a search warrant at Hall's residence where items linking him to the additional robberies were located.

While following up on the investigation, detectives determined the driver of the suspicious vehicle identified as Kevin Phektra Ta from the other parking lot was Hall's associate and co-conspirator in the gas station robbery, police said. Detectives also linked Ta to another armed robbery on May 20 in San Jose.

The duo is accused of attempted murder, armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon charges.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Daren Reinke of the San Jose Police Department's Robbery Unit at 408-277-4166. Those wishing to remain anonymous may either call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 408-947-STOP (7867) or click the "Submit a Tip" link below. Providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect may allow for eligibility of a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.