Lakeside man arrested in connection with series of armed robberies

Stock Photo

San Diego County, CA – On Monday, July 15, 2024, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), in conjunction with the El Cajon Police Department, announced the arrest of a man in connection with a series of armed robberies that occurred in both cities last week. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Anthony Caleb Johnson of Lakeside, was arrested on July 13, 2024, after investigators linked him to four incidents that occurred in the early morning hours of July 10, 2024.

The arrest came after a coordinated effort by SDPD and El Cajon PD investigators who worked together to collect evidence and track down the suspect. The break in the case came when alert patrol officers and dispatchers quickly recognized a suspect based on descriptions from victims and witnesses. Investigators were able to identify the vehicle involved in the robberies and obtain its license plate number, which was then entered into the Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. The system confirmed that the vehicle was in the vicinity of all four robbery locations at the time the crimes were committed.

The robbery spree began at approximately 2 a.m. on July 10, when two victims were robbed at gunpoint near 4500 Mission Blvd. in the Pacific Beach area. The victims provided a description of the suspects, including distinctive tattoos on one of their faces, and reported that the suspects fled in a gray Ford Taurus. Shortly afterward, a second robbery occurred at a 7/11 store at 3090 Clairemont Dr., where a masked suspect wearing a hoodie robbed the store clerk at gunpoint before fleeing the scene.

The third robbery occurred at about 2:45 a.m. at another 7/Eleven store at 7801 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. The suspect, who was also masked and wearing a hoodie, again robbed the clerk at gunpoint and fled on foot. The fourth incident occurred at about 3:00 a.m. at a 7/Eleven store on Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon. The suspect's description and actions matched those of previous robberies in San Diego.

The cases have been submitted to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office for prosecution. Anthony Johnson is currently being held in the San Diego County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for July 17, 2024. Further inquiries regarding the case will be directed to the District Attorney's Office.

Lakeside man arrested in connection with series of armed robberies was last modified: 13 August 2024 from Administrator