Three Men, One in Wheelchair, Arrested in Theft at Alpha Beta

Three men, including one confined to a wheelchair, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of robbing a Cerritos grocery store of $200, authorities said.

Rick Driscoll, 29, of Lakewood; Antonio Galante, 31, of Ontario, and Ed Cambel, 29, of Cerritos allegedly drove up to the Alpha Beta store at 13321 E. Artesia Blvd. and either Driscoll or Galante got out and told a cashier he had a gun, Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Kinsey said.

The robber dashed back to the van, which sped off, Kinsey said, but not before a witness recorded its license plate and the gunman’s description. Deputies stopped the van on the Artesia Freeway and found “a fair amount” of automatic ammunition, but no weapons, and $200 in cash, he said.

Cambel, the driver, is wheelchair bound, Kinsey said. All three were booked on suspicion of robbery, with bail set at $6,000 each.