NORTHRIDGE : CSUN Employed 2 Held in Carjacking

Two of three Cal State Northridge students who are accused of stealing a car at gunpoint last week were employed by CSUN police as community service officers charged with escorting students to their cars at night, authorities said Wednesday.

The two men, Darin Sutton and Barrington Edwards, and fellow student Larry Major were ordered Monday to stand trial on felony armed robbery charges in Van Nuys Municipal Court.

The men, all 18, pleaded not guilty.

A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 16.

As community service officers, Sutton and Edwards provided escorts for students who called campus police requesting help getting to their cars after hours.

Community service officers are not sworn peace officers.

Lt. Mark Hissong of the campus police said Sutton and Edwards had been community service officers since September and were terminated immediately upon arrest.

“This is a very respectable program,” Hissong said. “Any detrimental behavior is just not tolerated.”

David Fisher, who manages the community service officers, said routine background checks did not show any previous arrest records for Sutton or Edwards.

He added that juvenile arrest records are not available for such checks.

Police said Sutton, Edwards and Major stole a motorist’s car at gunpoint last Thursday in Sherman Oaks at Atoll Avenue and Landale Street.

They were arrested a few hours after the carjacking.

If convicted, all three could face maximum sentences of 10 years, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Herbert Lapin.

Carjacking has recently been made a federal offense, punishable by 15 years in prison, but it was unclear whether federal charges would be filed, he said.

According to officials at Los Angeles County Jail, Edwards posted his $25,000 bail and was released Tuesday.

Sutton and Major were still in custody Wednesday.