FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno police arrest three people from Stockton for stealing thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes from their victims.
In all three Fresno-area robberies, the merchants were stocking up at Sam’s Club, spending up to $10k on cigarettes, and were then robbed at gunpoint back at their stores while unloading their trunks.
It was through the help of a witness who spotted a suspect’s car parked at Sam’s Club, stalking victims.
Fresno police arrested two adults and a juvenile from Stockton after tracing a paper license plate back to the Baba Car dealership there.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer warns merchants that with a new cigarette tax soon to go into effect they may be at risk of becoming targets as they stock up on product.
“What we want to make sure that these business owners know is that when they are purchasing that volume of cigarettes with that level of cash in some cases as much as $10,000 dollars in some cases that’s as good as gold, and people are going to take great risks to take that property from them.” – Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
Two 20 year-olds; Adrian Sarraraz, and Edward Balaman, and a 17 year old, all from Stockton will be facing armed robbery charges.
Click below to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
