Five California residents have been taken into custody in the San Francisco area in connection with the armed robbery of a Denver jewelry store on Tuesday, federal officials said Friday.
The five suspects were arrested early Wednesday after a high-speed vehicle chase. Authorities found in the suspects’ vehicle Rolex watches linked to the robbery in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood and a handgun.
The suspects were identified on Friday by Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office as Anthony Domino, 21, Summer Sawyer, 30, Sharde Suwannabart, 24, Sean McCullough, 23, and Anthony Tyree, 23.
A complaint was filed against the five in Denver’s federal court charging them with robbery affecting commerce and conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce.
The robbery happened at Williams Jewelers near East 3rd Avenue and Detroit Street on Tuesday morning. The store owner told investigators a black woman entered the store looking at watches before she left saying she needed to get her credit cards.
“At that time, three black males wearing black hoodies and black masks and armed with handguns entered the store and robbed the victims at gunpoint,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Witnesses saw a maroon Chevrolet Blazer fleeing the area after the robbery.
“One witness observed people yelling with urgent voices as they jumped into a running and moving red SUV,” the release said.
Denver police officers tracked the SUV to an alley and determined an Aurora man owned it.
“When that (man) was contacted by police he said he had sold the vehicle the night before to two unknown black males and two unknown black females after he placed an advertisement on Craigslist,” the office said. “The buyers contacted him from an out of state phone number. The owner sold the individuals the vehicle for $1,550 in cash.”
The man told authorities the buyers came to the purchase in a newer Cadillac SUV with California plates. Law enforcement was able to determine the California license plate number and found the vehicle had been rented at the San Francisco Airport.
Using the SUV’s OnStar, federal agents were able to track the vehicle, finding that early Wednesday morning — 17 hours after the robbery — the Cadillac was on Interstate 80 in Roseville, Calif.
The California Highway Patrol was alerted to the SUV’s whereabouts and tried to contact the driver at which point the Cadillac fled, initiating a pursuit. The chase ended in a single-vehicle crash that ultimately ended with the suspects’ arrest.
“In the vehicle was a Glock semi-automatic handgun,” officials said. “One defendant had at least five Rolex watches, including one that had serial numbers matching a watch taken at Williams’ Jewelry. Follow up investigation with witnesses and victims of the crime, as well as additional analysis of evidence obtained resulted in all five people in the car being charged.”
If convicted of robbery affecting commerce, each suspect faces up to 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. If convicted of Conspiracy to commit robbery affecting commerce, each suspect faces up to five years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
The five are also suspected in other unspecified crimes committed in Sacramento County, Calif., The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
