Crime & Safety
Marin Robbery Suspect Targeted Elderly: Cops
Deshawn Ford-Howard, 33 of Richmond, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and elder abuse among other charges, police said.
MARIN COUNTY, CA — A 33-year-old Richmond man has been arrested on suspicion of robberies in San Rafael and Novato that targeted older women last month, San Rafael police said Friday
Deshawn Ford-Howard is accused of a Feb. 10 robbery outside of a Dollar Tree store in San Rafael as well as two similar cases in Novato on Feb. 18 and Feb. 24, according to police.
In the first case, a 74-year-old woman was leaving the store in San Rafael when someone approached, told her to give him or purse or he would kill her, then fled with the purse after the victim handed it over, police said.
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Investigators learned of the two similar cases in Novato involving smaller women over the ages of 65, and found surveillance footage from three locations where the suspect used cards belonging to a victim. At one of the locations, the suspect took off his mask, and police sent out still photographs to other local law enforcement agencies, according to police.
Someone at another agency identified the suspect as Ford-Howard, who police say has an extensive criminal history. Police learned he would be at a meeting in Novato on Thursday and took him into custody without incident while recovering a firearm, police said.
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Ford-Howard was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of robbery, false imprisonment, burglary, elder abuse, and unlawful use of an access card. He has since posted bail and is out of custody, police said.
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