Several robberies across Los Angeles where the victims were followed home or to remote locations have been tied to three men. Police announced Tuesday that the men were arrested in connection with the crimes.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, one of the suspects had ties to incidents dating back to January.
Matthew Adams, Eric Wilson, and Jayon Sparks were identified as the three men. Police said, during the crime spree, Adams was arrested and released three times.
A male victim was followed home from the Hollywood area to Burbank on January 7. As he exited his vehicle, three men approached, armed with guns, in the 900 block of Tufts Avenue. Police said the victim cooperated when the suspects demanded the victim’s property.
A man and woman were returning home from dining at a high-end restaurant along the 8700 block of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood that same day.
They parked their vehicle and went into the elevator even though they noticed a car had pulled into the garage behind them.
Police said Adams and an unidentified suspect allegedly ran into the elevator as the door closed. While Adams allegedly removed the man’s watch, wallet, and cellphone, one of the men pointed a gun at the victims. Both of the suspects fled the scene.
Along the 700 block of North La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Grove, two men visiting from outside the country left a nightclub and walked toward their hotel, on January 14.
Allegedly, Adams and an unidentified suspect approached the victims and took their property by force. Before the suspects ran away, they took a high-end watch and other property from each victim.
Inside a hotel along the 6400 block of Selma Avenue in Hollywood, two men were at a club on January 20.
After leaving, the location to pick up food in the 7100 block of Sunset Boulevard, the victims parked on Detroit Street north of Sunset. Adams, Sparks, and four or five additional people armed with guns approached one of the victims who got out of the car, police said.
Police said the drivers fled the scene in three separate cash after taking a watch, jewelry, money, and a purse.
On March 24, Sparks and Wilson were detained by police who said two firearms were recovered inside their vehicle. Sparks was arrested on suspicion of robbery, while Wilson was arrested on suspicion of a weapons violation.
Items were stolen in previous robberies, and multiple weapons were found when authorities searched their apartment along the 7300 block of Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, said police.
According to LAPD, Sparks was charged with two counts of robbery and one count of possession of a firearm on March 28. Sparks’ bail was set at $50,000, while Wilson was released on bond.
Outside a home in the 500 block of Bentley Avenue in West L.A., two UCLA students were approached by Adams and another man around 2:25 a.m. on March 30.
A gun was used to strike one of the victims in the head while the suspects took two high-end watches and an iPhone, totaling $145,000, police said.
On March 31, during a traffic stop, Adams was arrested on suspicion of robbery.
Prosecutors filed multiple charges against Adams on April 4, including seven counts of robbery and two gun enhancements, police said. Adams’ bail was set at $450,000.
No further details about other possible suspects in the recent robberies were released by authorities.
Police said, he faces 20 or more years in prison and was tied to other recent incidents.
The LAPD’s chief of detectives directed the department’s elite Robbery-Homicide unit to form a follow-home robbery task force to address these kinds of crimes and identify potential crime spree crews.
Anyone with information about the three suspects or additional incidents to which they may be tied is asked to call the task force assigned to the Burbank Police Department. Anyone with information or video of the recent incidents can call Detective Delph and Detective Hammer at 213- 486-6840.
