2 L.A. Men Plead Not Guilty to La Jolla Robbery
Two Los Angeles men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges related to the July 19 armed robbery of the Bullocks Wilshire store in La Jolla.
Travon Carruthers, 22, and Donald Hobson, 39, are charged with armed robbery, auto theft, assault and several other offenses. They pleaded not guilty at a hearing held by Superior Court Judge Herbert Exarhos, who set trial for Oct. 4.
Carruthers and Hobson, and an accomplice who has not been apprehended, are accused of using a sawed-off shotgun to rob the jewelry department of about $200,000.
Investigators say the two fled in a car, but changed to a van in Sorrento Valley.
The two became involved in a chase at the San Onofre border checkpoint station that included seven police agencies before the van ran out of gas in downtown Los Angeles.
Carruthers and Hobson, who investigators say may be involved with a Los Angeles-area gang, are being held in lieu of $250,000 each.
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