5th Heller Jewelers Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested: SRPD

SAN RAMON, CA — Authorities have arrested John Ioane Tupou, the fifth suspect charged in connection with the broad-daylight armed robbery of Heller Jewelers at City Center Bishop Ranch, the San Ramon Police Department reported Monday.

In early August, the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California announced that five suspects were charged after a lengthy investigation of the March incident.

Four suspects - Sunia Mafileo Faavesi, 30, Ryan Kentrell Montgomery, 35, Paul Christopher Tonga, 33, and Kyle Vehikite, 34, were booked into Santa Rita Jail on no-bail federal holds. John Ioane Tupou, 30, was also charged in August, but remained at-large until Tuesday.

“Yesterday, San Ramon PD assisted the US Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force and the Oakland ATF with the successful apprehension of the outstanding suspect in the Heller Jewelers robbery incident,” SRPD wrote in a Facebook post. “The primary suspects, five (5) in total, are all being federally prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California. Excellent job by all involved in this fantastic investigation.”

Patch is awaiting further information from the Department of Justice and the San Ramon Police Department.

The SRPD posted photos of two watches, a bracelet, a pair of glasses, and other jewelry, implying that at least some of the roughly $1 million of jewelry stolen in March has been recovered. The department also posted photos of three stacks of hundred-dollar bills.

The armed robbery took place on March 17, 2023 at approximately 2:45 p.m., according to a Department of Justice complaint. Seven suspects got out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and an orange Dodge Charger and walked into Heller Jewelers wearing hooded sweatshirts, long pants, ski masks, and gloves. Four drivers stayed in the cars.

One suspect drew a handgun and pointed it at the security guard at the entrance, then grabbed the security guard away from the door and shoved him against the wall, according to the complaint. Another suspect pointed the gun at employees and the roughly ten customers inside the store (including children), demanding they get on the ground.

The other five suspects began smashing display cases with hammers and loading items into duffel bags. The incident took just under a minute, according to the DOJ affidavit.

A GPS tracking device located inside of the Rolex watches, phone records, undercover officers, and surveillance footage helped investigators track down the suspects.

Investigators also obtained text screenshots from March 29 between Tonga and an unknown source providing information from a law enforcement insider.

“She said the case in San Roman [sic] is sealed because they never got you yet.. I told her about the raid she said it’s all together w/ san Roman [sic] .. she said Feds gon work with the Cops since you have a warrant with the state… they gon book you thru state & when they get you that’s when federal will get you,” the person advised Tonga, among other pieces of information.

“Tell sis keep u informed I’m about to wiggle around to [text cut off],” Tonga wrote.