Suspects In Violent Tarzana Home-Invasion Robbery Arrested

TARZANA, CA — Three Los Angeles men suspected in a series of violent home invasion robberies from North Hollywood to Tarzana have been arrested, police announced Wednesday.

According to Los Angeles police, the victims were followed home from Hollywood area clubs. One was badly beaten and another was shot. In two of the cases, the victims were staying in short-term rentals when the armed suspects broke in.

Los Angele Police Department detectives arrested Deja Childress, 34, of Ontario, Savion Jefferson, 32, of Los Angeles and Terry McGee, 27, of Los Angeles Sunday shortly after a home-invasion robbery in the 4300 block of Gayle Drive in Tarzana, police said.

Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division detectives served search warrants in Los Angeles and Ontario. They recovered six handguns and one assault rifle.

In Sunday's robbery, the victims were asleep when four suspects entered the home of a short-term rental via the backdoor, according to police. Two of the robbers were armed, and the suspects awoke the sleeping victims and demanded their high-value jewelry, police said.

The attackers beat one of the victims severely, before fleeing with the jewelry and other valuable property, according to the LAPD.

Police said they believed two of the suspects in the Tarzana case were also involved in two other cases -- a Nov. 29 robbery on Case Avenue and Burbank Boulevard in North Hollywood, where a victim who had spent the night at a club in Hollywood was shot in the foot and robbed of his jewelry, and a Feb. 13 home/invasion robbery in the 3900 block of Edenhurst Avenue in Atwater Village in northeast Los Angeles.

In the Atwater Village case, the suspects allegedly followed the victims from West Hollywood to their short-term rental. Two suspects forced their way inside the home shortly after the victims entered.

The suspects, one of whom witnesses said was armed with a handgun, demanded the victims' jewelry, police said. The suspects left with high-value jewelry and other property. The victims were not injured.

Anyone with information or video regarding these cases is urged to call detectives at 213-486-6840. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be made to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or go to www.lacrimestoppers.org.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.