Robberies Targeting Elderly: 5 Arrests In San Leandro

SAN LEANDRO, CA — Five people - four men and a 17-year-old girl - have been arrested in connection with grand thefts and strong-arm robberies in San Leandro that primarily targeted older members of the Asian community, police said.

The arrests, announced Friday, stem from an investigation of a strong-arm robbery Nov. 7 at the New Sang Chong Market in the 13700 block of Doolittle Drive. In that incident, an elderly woman was pushed to the ground by a man who wrested away her purse and fled in a waiting silver SUV.

The woman reported the robbery and was notified shortly after that her credit card had been used at a gas station on Foothill Boulevard in Hayward.

Detectives followed up at the station and were able to identify the 17-year-old girl and get a detailed description of the silver 2009 Honda Pilot.

Credit cards in similar recent incidents had been used at sporting good stores at Bay Mall in San Leandro and Southland Mall in Hayward and detectives set up surveillance at both locations.

An SUV and occupants matching descriptions given to police parked at Southland Mall at noon. A check of the license plate showed the vehicle had been reported stolen in San Leandro.

Detectives attempted to detain the suspects when they returned to the SUV and took the girl into custody without incident. Two men, identified as 19-year-old Noah Moreno of San Leandro and 20-year-old Elijah Henry of Oakland were apprehended after a short chase on foot.

Moreno and Henry were arrested on two counts of robbery and felony probation violations and are being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail. The case against the 17-year-old juvenile has been submitted to juvenile hall for review and charging.

Police say evidence found in the SUV linked the suspects to the Nov. 7 robbery and other incidents outside San Leandro.

Police believe the three are responsible for three other robberies of Asian women committed at New Sang Chong Market, on Oct. 28, 29 and 31, including one involving a silver Acura MDX determined to be registered to the parents of the 17-year-old female juvenile suspect.

A separate incident at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday involving the theft of a purse from the car of a woman loading groceries into her vehicle at Costco at 1900 Davis St. led to the arrest of two men.

Police were able to identify the getaway vehicle in the incident, a 2009 Toyota Rav4, and two suspects, Jamont Baldwin, 19, and Aaron Duran, 20.

They located the vehicle at Baldwin's home in Hayward the next day and followed the vehicle to the 500 block of Wille Stargell Avenue in Alameda, and attempted to detain the men after Baldwin was seen wiping down the Toyota and disposing of items in the bushes, police said.

Both were arrested after a foot pursuit. Evidence in the Toyota linked Baldwin to the Costco theft and other incidents outside San Leandro, police said.

Baldwin and Duran are being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail.

Baldwin had been arrested in 2018 in connection with a series of strong-arm robberies in San Leandro, including two in the Costco parking lot, Lt. Ted Henderson.

Both investigations are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the San Leandro Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.

— Bay City News