San Diego
Three Navy men arrested Wednesday night in connection with the robbery of a Mission Valley motel guest may be responsible for a string of similar robberies at other motels, San Diego police said Thursday.
Police spokesman Bill Robinson said detectives from the robbery detail were on surveillance at 9:22 p.m. in Hotel Circle when they answered a call of a person being robbed at a nearby motel room.
The detectives, who earlier had spotted three men loitering at the motel, discovered the same men shortly after the robbery call, Robinson said.
One of the men, allegedly armed with a handgun, ran after detectives approached. He was captured after a short pursuit. About $290 taken in the robbery and two toy guns allegedly used by the three also were recovered.
Arrested and booked into the County Jail on suspicion of robbery were John Paul Finch, 19; David Edward Bevard, 20, and Eric Leslie Hutchinson, 24.
Robinson said that, since March 28, eight robberies have occurred in which the bandits, after identifying themselves as motel employees, would force their way into the victims’ rooms.
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