Third Brea Computer Firm in a Year Invaded, Robbed

Robbers invaded a computer accessory company Wednesday and held employees at gunpoint while robbing them of their property, including a Mercedes-Benz. It was the third such robbery in the city in about a year.

Brea police said three to five men entered the business about 3 p.m., tied up the employees and seized cash, credit cards and jewelry from them.

Police would not further identify the company.

Within minutes of the robbery, Brea Police Officer Susan Howey spotted the stolen car and arrested a suspect who identified himself as Tam Ngyuen Le, 21, of Perris. Le was taken into custody without incident, according to Detective Grant Gulickson.

Last year on Feb. 1 and Nov. 23, groups of three to five armed men invaded high-tech firms specializing in manufacturing computer chips, bound employees, robbed the businesses and escaped.

Four men who police believe planned the Feb. 1 robbery of PC Craft Inc. were arrested in Monterey Park and later pleaded guilty. Police recovered more than $300,000 in computer chips and other electronic equipment. But PC Craft officials later said the $2.2 million in stolen chips ultimately cost the company $5.9 million in revenue.

Those responsible for actually carrying out the armed robbery were never apprehended, despite a $50,000 reward offered by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.

The Nov. 23 robbery of Aten Research Inc. involved a loss of about $100,000 in computer chips.

On Dec. 9, six armed gunmen robbed an Irvine computer firm, seizing tens of thousands of computer chips after forcing employees to the floor and tying them up.