Suspect Arrested In Fatal Hollywood Robbery

LOS ANGELES, CA — A fourth suspect is facing a murder charge in a Hollywood robbery that turned deadly, and police believe he may also be connected with a rash of follow-home robberies targeting victims in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Glendale and Fontana.

A Los Angeles Police Department task force arrested Marquis Ford, 24, of Los Angeles on Thursday on suspicion of murder in the Nov. 23 shooting death of Jose Ruiz Gutierrez, 23, during a robbery outside a Hollywood restaurant. According to detectives, Ford is part of a follow-home robbery ring that victimized people across the southland. He was booked on suspicion of murder and was being held in lieu of $2 million bail, the Los Angeles Police Department reported. Four others were arrested in December in connection with the shooting and robberies.

The shooting occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 23. Jose Ruiz Gutierrez and his girlfriend had stopped for food at a Bossa Nova in the 7100 block of Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The woman went inside to get the foof while Gutierrez waited in his car. As she was returning to the car, several armed men physically assaulted her in a robbery attempt, according to the LAPD. Ruiz-Gutierrez, who was armed with a gun, came to her aid and was shot and killed by the robbers.

Authorities believe Ford and the four other men were also tied to a rash of follow-home robberies that had plagued the city. An LAPD task force on follow-home robberies, with assistance from an LAPD SWAT unit and Beverly Hills, Glendale and Fontana police spanned Southern California making arrests at various locations in Los Angeles and Fontana.

The other suspects were Jayon Sanders, 21, Abraham Castillo, 20, Tyree Singleton, 20, and Joshua Saulsberry, 21.

Sanders, Castilllo and Singleton have all been charged with murder, robbery and attempted robbery. Saulsberry is charged with robbery.

Sanders is being held on $2.49 million bail, Castillo and Singleton on $2.05 million bail, and Saulsberry on $160,000 bail, according to the LAPD.

Detectives recovered a handgun, a replica handgun, more than $30,000 in cash, handbags, a Rolex watch, gang paraphernalia and two vehicles allegedly used in the crimes, police said.

Hours after the Gutierrez shooting, LAPD Chief Michel Moore announced that the department would create a task force to investigate "follow-home robberies," which had increased in frequency in recent weeks.

Moore said the department identified 133 likely instances of such crimes. The heists involve robbers who follow people wearing high-end jewelry or have expensive vehicles or other belongings.

Moore added that if someone notices they're being followed, they should not drive home and instead go to a police station and call 911.

LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detectives urged anyone with information regarding the Gutierrez homicide to call them at 213-486-6860 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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