Four Claremont Burglary Suspects, Including Juvenile, Arrested After Chase to Downey

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

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CLAREMONT - A large safe and other personal property was recovered from the vehicle occupied by four burglary suspects who decided to flee from Claremont Police and the California Highway Patrol until they crashed and rolled their SUV in Downey Sunday night.

The suspects are accused of committing two residential burglaries May 16. Officers responded just after 8 p.m. to the 800 block of Brigham Young Drive after a resident saw three suspects armed with baseball bats enter the rear yard of a residence. Police did not find the suspects, but recovered a baseball bat. Minutes later, police responded to another address a short distance away, the Claremont Police Department said.

A residential burglary alarm was triggered just before 8:30 p.m. in the 4100 block of New Hampshire Ave. Responding officers saw a white SUV leaving the neighborhood. A Claremont officer in an unmarked police vehicle began following that white SUV. Backup officers confirmed a burglary happened at the New Hampshire home, Claremont Police Department said.

The white SUV was trailed onto the westbound 210 freeway and then to the southbound 605 freeway with additional Claremont officers and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department helicopter also following.

The California Highway Patrol was requested to take over the chase and after attempting to conduct a traffic stop, the suspects fled at high speed.

The pursuit entered the city of Downey where the suspects attempted to exit onto Bellflower Boulevard where they crashed on the offramp and rolled in their SUV. The driver ran away, leaving his three accomplices behind in the SUV to eventually be arrested.

The driver fled through residential properties and reportedly ran into a garage where he hid briefly before officers located him with the help of a helicopter and took him into custody, according to California Highway Patrol radio traffic.

Lancaster man Dequan Clark, 20, Los Angeles man Jaheim Hickman, 19, Los Angeles man Bernard Peoples, 23, and a 15-year-old juvenile from Hawthorne were taken into custody.

Inside the SUV, officers located property reportedly taken from the home on New Hampshire Avenue, Including a large safe. Additional property was also found believed to have been stolen from a home in Chino Hills, Claremont Police said.

The three adult suspects were booked on suspicion of attempted burglary, burglary and possession of stolen property.

Two of the adult suspects are being held without bail at the Claremont Police Department Jail for probation and parole violations, while the third adult suspect is being held at the Claremont Police Department Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail, Claremont Police said.

The juvenile suspect was later released on a citation to his parent. All three adult suspects are scheduled to appear at Pomona Superior Court on Tuesday, May 18, Claremont Police said.