4 Men Ordered to Stand Trial Over Series of Crimes in Antelope Valley

Four men were ordered Thursday to stand trial on charges stemming from a mini-crime wave that included a jewelry store robbery, a carjacking, a freeway chase and separate shootouts with a mall guard and a sheriff’s deputy.

At the conclusion of a two-day preliminary hearing, Antelope Municipal Judge Ian Grant ruled that the men must be tried for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and other charges. One of the four also was bound over for attempted murder for allegedly shooting at the deputy.

No one was seriously injured during the two-hour episode that included the robbery at the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale, the shootout there between the robbers and a guard, a carjacking after the suspects fled, another shootout with a deputy in Lancaster and, finally, the men’s arrests.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Pamela Rhodes-Rogers said three defendants face prison sentences of more than 20 years if convicted on all charges. The fourth defendant, who also is charged with attempted murder, faces 35 years to life in prison if convicted on all charges, Rhodes-Rogers said.

Held in Los Angeles County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail were Jabarr Abdul Wheeler, 20, of Compton; Lamont Terrell Craig, 23, of Hawthorne; and Darnell Du-shyne Sullivan, 25, of Los Angeles. Clyde R. Hayes, 26, of Louisiana was in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail because of the attempted murder charge, Rhodes-Rogers said.

Rhodes-Rogers said the four allegedly had an associate scout the mall and the store two days before robbing the store June 2. That person remains at large, she said.

The men will be arraigned July 3 in Lancaster Superior Court. Rhodes-Rogers said she expects to file additional charges against the quartet involving victims not included in the original complaint.