Tucson police arrested three men Friday, wanted in connection with a series of robberies that began Thursday night and continued into early Friday, authorities said.
Jeremy Wilson, 19, and Saul Perez-Hernandez, 20, were arrested for their connection to three robberies, andΒ 20-year-old Jaime Lopez was taken into custody for his involvement with at least two, according to a post on the Tucson Police Department Facebook page.
At about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, two gunmen entered a home in the 3200 bock of East Ft. Lowell Road and pointed their weapons at the resident, who was home alone. One of the suspects struck the victim in the face with a gun, before they forced the man into his bedroom and took prescription medications and other property. The men fled the property in an unknown vehicle and were both wearing bandanas around their faces, the post said.
Less than 2 hours later, at about 1 a.m. Friday morning, two men were walking in the area of East First Street and North Stewart Avenue, when a vehicle pulled up next to them and two men wearing bandanas around their faces got out of the car. Just like in the previous robbery, one of the suspects was armed with a handgun and the other was carrying a rifle. They hit both victims with their guns and forced them to empty their pockets of cash and cell phones, before fleeing in the dark colored vehicle that was possibly driven by a third suspect. One of the victims was seriously injured when he was struck and had to be transported to a local hospital, according to the post.
Twenty minutes later, police received reports that two men entered a home in the 200 block of North First Avenue, using an unlocked door, and pointed their guns at the six people in the house. While moving the victims from room to room at gunpoint, the suspects stole various pieces of property, including cell phones, the post said.
After the robbery, the victims tracked their phones using an app, and passed the locations on to police. Officers began watching the apartment complex where they were tracked to, in the 400 block of East Prince Road, and located a dark colored vehicle that matched the description provided by the victims of the second robbery. After one of the suspects left the complex in the vehicle, officers performed a traffic stop and immediately noticed that the driver was wearing a bandana with a skull design, that was the same as one of the bandanas worn during all the robberies, according to the post.
Police spotted a handgun magazine and property belonging to the victims inside the car, and obtained a search warrant for the car and associated apartment. SWAT officers located several people inside the apartment, and also found a rifle and handgun, as well as property and prescription medication taken during the robberies. After conducting interviews, detectives learned that Wilson and Perez-Hernandez were involved in all three robberies, and Lopez was involved in at least two, the post said.
Perez-Hernandez is facing nine counts each of armed robbery, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping. He has also been charged with two counts of first degree burglary, according to the post. Pima County jail records show that he is being held on an $80,000 bond.
Wilson is facing the same charges, and two additional charges of aggravated assault related to a Wednesday shooting that police were able to link him to, the post said. He is being held on a $100,000 bond.
Lopez is facing seven counts each of armed robbery, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and kidnapping, along with two counts of first degree burglary, according to the post. His bond has been set at $75,000.
Police are asking anyone with information about these or similar incidents to call 911 or 88-CRIME.
