Three Southern California residents are facing federal charges for allegedly committing a trio of armed robberies of a liquor store, gas station, and convenience store — a crime spree that ended in the death of an innocent bystander in a fatal car accident while the defendants fled from police, officials announced Thursday.
The defendants charged Wednesday with Hobbs Act robbery and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence are:
— Kaelenn Maea, 26, of Long Beach;
— Salagi Iakopo, 30, of Carson; and
— Mathew Salanoa, 23, of Placentia
Maea and Salanoa are expected to make their initial appearances Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles federal court. Law enforcement continues to search for Iakopo, who fled while free on bond.
Prosecutors allege the defendants committed three armed robberies from Sept. 22 to Sept. 29 in Downey, Compton and South El Monte. In each of the robberies, one of the robbers allegedly used a short-style rifle to control the cashier and customers while another robber took full cash registers or drawers before all the robbers fled in an SUV.
On Sept. 27, the trio allegedly robbed a Compton gas station. One of the robbers, believed to be Salanoa, was caught on surveillance footage about 10 minutes before the robbery casing the store in preparation to rob it, according to court papers.
The robbers left briefly before returning. Another robber, believed to be Iakopo, grabbed and detached the cash register from the counter. The final robber, believed to be Maea, pointed a rifle at the cashier and customers preventing them from exiting the store. The robbers allegedly stole about $1,500 inside the cash register and fled in a stolen Range Rover, authorities said.
Two days later, two defendants, believed to be Maea and Iakopo, robbed a convenience store in South El Monte. One of the robbers pointed a rifle at the cashier while the other stole the cash register drawer. In total, the robbers stole about $350 to $400. The robbers then fled in the stolen Range Rover, according to prosecutors.
On Oct. 9, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies found the stolen Range Rover, which allegedly sped off and almost immediately hit another car, killing a civilian motorist inside. The suspects then ran away, but deputies found Iakopo hiding in a trash can in the area, an affidavit alleges.
Deputies allegedly later found clothing believed to belong to Maea beside a small crawl space under a nearby house. Inside the stolen Range Rover, deputies found clothing, identification and a cellphone believed to belong to Maea, according to the affidavit.
If convicted of both charges, each defendant would face up to 20 years in federal prison for the Hobbs Act count — robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce — and up to life in federal prison for the firearm count, federal prosecutors noted.