Accused MS-13 Gang Member A Suspect In Peninsula Armed Robbery

MENLO PARK, CA — An accused MS-13 gang member was among three suspects arrested Tuesday in connection with a Peninsula armed robbery, Menlo Park police said.

The incident occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Flood Park, at 215 Bay Road, police said.

Two juveniles said they were robbed by two men armed with a shotgun who stole their personal belongings and fled.

No injuries were reported.

Officers arrived about a minute after the report came in and shortly afterward arrested three suspects who matched witness descriptions, in the area of Bay Road and Heritage Place, police said.

When officers tried to detain the suspects, one abandoned a backpack, ran behind a residence and jumped a fence, police said. All three persons eventually were detained.

Officers said they recovered the abandoned backpack and found it contained a single-shot sawed-off shotgun.

Stolen property belonging to the victims was also recovered, police said.

The victims identified two of the robbery suspects, police said.

One of the suspects, Jose Lopez-Sanchez, 26, of Mountain View, is an MS-13 gang member who is on probation for false imprisonment and vehicle theft convictions, according to police.

He was was arrested on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, firearms violations, and resisting arrest, police said.

The second suspect was identified as Heriberto Gomez, a 28-year-old transient man who is on probation for a false imprisonment conviction, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of robbery, conspiracy to commit a felony, firearms violations, resisting arrest, and several outstanding arrest warrants for drug violations, police said.

A third suspect, Luis Enrique Cruz, 30, of East Palo Alto, is on probation for an assault with a deadly weapon conviction, police said.

He was arrested for making threats of violence toward police and violating the terms of his probation, police said. Cruz was booked into the county jail.

Anyone with information related to the robbery is asked to contact Detective Josh Russell at 650-330-6364 or by email at jprussell@menlopark.org.