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Two Livermore teenagers were arrested and booked into the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center on charges of first-degree robbery after police allege they assaulted and stole from a couple outside of a Pleasanton bank on Friday.
According to the Pleasanton Police Department, the two suspects — ages 15 and 16 — are believed to be associated with two other juveniles who were arrested last week for their alleged involvement in a string of robberies at various ATMs across the city.
“Both arrested suspects are Livermore residents and are believed to be associated with the 12- and 17-year-old suspects involved in previous robberies,” Teri Yan, community and public relations coordinator, told the Pleasanton Weekly on Monday. “The individuals share social connections and common residences.”
Police said a third suspect, whom investigators think was in the vehicle during the robbery with the other two teenagers, is still at-large.
According to Yan, the incident started at around 3:45 p.m. Friday (July 11) when the suspects assaulted a husband and wife outside a Pleasanton bank on the 3500 block of Old Santa Rita Road — the only bank in that area is a Chase Bank — and stole their cashier’s check, which was valued at about $1,100.
Police said the culprits fled the scene in a stolen car before officers arrived at the scene of the crime.
Shortly after, PPD sent out an alert to nearby law enforcement, which led to officers from the Livermore Police Department and Dublin Police Services locating the vehicle. Officers attempted to make contact with the suspects, who led police on a chase that ended with the suspects crashing with at least two other cars on North P Street in Livermore near Pine Street, Yan said.
The Livermore Police Department asked residents to stay away from that area from 5:30 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. that Friday, according to the department’s Facebook post, while officers arrested two of the juveniles.
“Following the collision, officers from the Livermore Police Department and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office established a perimeter and took two suspects into custody,” Yan said.
Police said no serious injuries were reported from the crashes in Livermore. PPD reported that officers recovered the stolen cashier’s check from the vehicle, along with a handgun.
Yan said at this stage of the investigation, “Detectives do not believe the recovered firearm was used during the robbery.”
The two sets of juveniles who were arrested this month remain in custody at juvenile hall and are waiting for their court dates, PPD Lt. Brandon Stocking told the Weekly.
“It is unfortunate that such young individuals are committing these violent crimes,” Stocking said. “While it appears that a very small group of juveniles is responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime in Pleasanton, the city continues to have a low rate of violent crime compared to other Bay Area cities. We encourage everyone to stay aware of their surroundings and to call 9-1-1 if they find themselves in a similar situation.”
