A Few More Nuggets About That Jewelry-Heist Manhunt

City officials shared a few more details about the six-hour manhunt that followed the Jan. 21 smash-and-grab robbery of in Redondo Beach. While commending officers and dispatchers before Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Mike Gin said that residents helped police nab the suspects by calling 911.

Five men fled the store at 809 Torrance Blvd. after smashing cases and grabbing merchandise. Two took off in a getaway car and three ran down South Juanita Avenue.

“Residents on South Juanita began telling dispatch as the three suspects ran, discarding their clothing, the stolen merchandise and other accessories of the crime,” Gin said. “So you can imagine the chaos that was going on.”

Gin credited the officers on foot as well as emergency dispatchers for working together so well during the emergency.

An officer spotted two suspects on foot near Juanita and Emerald avenues and  arrested them. A third man ran toward Redondo Union High School and was later found in a trash can and arrested. Motorcycle officers found the getaway car abandoned at Pacific Coast Highway and Beryl Avenue, and another suspect was found hiding behind a nearby shed.

In all, four of the five suspects were apprehended after the  and face multiple charges.

Thirty Redondo Beach police officers participated in the manhunt, along with 30 officers from surrounding communities.

“In other cities when officers enter a backyard, they are concerned that the residents possibly have secreted the person inside their homes, that they’ve aided the suspects,” Police Chief Joe Leonardi said. “In Redondo Beach, when someone starts to jump fences, every single resident is calling us to tell us the direction, the clothing, where they are, what they look like, and there’s probably a few ‘get 'em’ comments that follow.”