Man Sentenced in Jewelry Store Robbery That End with Loot on 405

A 23-year-old Inglewood man arrested in connection with a Mission Viejo jewelry store robbery pleaded guilty today to stealing a vehicle and was immediately sentenced to two years in jail.

Multiple felonies for robbery with sentencing enhancements for gang activity and theft exceeding $150,000 and the use of a dangerous weapon were dismissed against Levon Michael Tippit.

Co-defendants Devan Devell Howard, 18, of Inglewood, and Marshawn Marshall, 18, of Palmdale, were next due in court Feb. 11.

They were accused in the Oct. 21 robbery at the Fredric H. Rubel jewelry store in the Shops at Mission Viejo mall, according to Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock.

The robbery took place just before 1 p.m. The masked robbers smashed a couple of glass cases and grabbed gems and Rolex watches worth thousands of dollars, Hallock said.

Witnesses reported seeing the robbers dump their loot out the window of the stolen getaway vehicle on the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Costa Mesa area about a half-hour after the heist, Hallock said, noting the watches were equipped with tracking devices.

A good deal of the stolen jewelry was recovered on the side of the freeway, he said.

City News Service