COSTA MESA : 4 Suspects in Jewelry Store Theft Arrested

Four people suspected of staging a daring robbery of a Costa Mesa jewelry store were arrested Monday after crashing their getaway vehicle as they fled from police, authorities said.

The three men and one woman--whose names were not immediately available--suffered minor injuries when their getaway car crashed into a telephone pole near the intersection of Baker Street and Fernheath Lane in Costa Mesa, Police Lt. Sam Cordeiro said.

The robbery occurred about 2:30 p.m. at J.C. Humphries Jewelers in the 1800 block of Newport Boulevard.

Cordeiro said the three male suspects smashed several cases, grabbing an undisclosed amount of jewelry and gems.

They escaped in a getaway vehicle driven by a woman, Cordeiro said. He said the vehicle was reported stolen in Bakersfield.

He said the suspects were taken to three hospitals and were treated for minor injuries. The woman was booked into Orange County Jail while the three men were being held at the police facility in Costa Mesa.