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Seventeen people from the Inland Empire, including seven minors, have been arrested in connection with a three-county, cellphone-store-robbery spree that netted thieves a half-million dollars in merchandise, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.
Cellphones, computer tablets and smart watches were stolen from stores in San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties from October to April, authorities said.
The suspects robbed the stores during business hours and would either wield or simulate handguns, said Sgt. Deirdre Vickers, a Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.
In March, several people were arrested after robberies in Jurupa Valley and Lake Elsinore. That led to additional arrests after search warrants were served and stolen property was recovered in Adelanto, Rialto and San Bernardino, a sheriff’s news release said.
The arrest adults were 18 to 24 years old and lived in San Bernardino, Adelanto, Moreno Valley, Banning and Riverside.
Originally published at Brian Rokos