Teens Brandish Handgun In Brazen RivCo Robbery, One Was Underage: Cops

JURUPA VALLEY, CA — An armed robbery Monday morning at a Jurupa Valley business was carried out by three teens, one of whom was a minor, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Tommy Rojas, 18, of Rancho Cucamonga, Umar Esa Syed, 19, of Pomona, and a 17-year-old male juvenile were eventually collared by deputies, but the alleged armed robbery was carried out in daylight during a busy time as locals were preparing for their workweek.

According to the sheriff's department, at approximately 7:15 a.m. deputies responded to the business in the 10000 block of Bellegrave Avenue regarding the robbery in which the three young thieves brandished a handgun and took cash and tobacco products.

The trio fled the scene in a black Jeep, but deputies tracked down the teens — at a residence in the 2700 block of Eagle Creek Place in Ontario and during a "high-risk" traffic stop on the Jeep, the sheriff's department reported.

A search turned up the stolen cash, tobacco products and four firearms, according to the sheriff's department.

Rojas and Syed were booked into Southwest Detention Center and each booked on suspicion of second-degree robbery, using a firearm during the commission of a felony, and conspiracy, jail records show. Each was being held on $105,000 bail.

The 17-year-old was booked into Juvenile Hall on the same charges, according to the sheriff's department.

While court information about the juvenile was not available, neither Rojas nor Syed have any felony convictions in Riverside County. Court information from San Bernardino County was unavailable.