Cousins Held After Gunpoint Robbery

Police arrested two cousins Saturday afternoon on suspicion of robbing a house at gunpoint earlier in the day and fleeing with four handguns and some jewelry, Placentia Police Lt. Chuck Babcock said.

Robert Tanielu, 30, and Andrew Tafilele, 28, were arrested with the help of Santa Ana officers when they drove up to Tanielu’s Santa Ana home, Babcock said. The cousins were to be booked into Orange County Jail late Saturday on charges of residential robbery.

Tafilele also had a San Bernardino County warrant for his arrest for possessing stolen property, Babcock said.

Police said the two men approached a resident in the driveway of his home in the 900 block of Ott Avenue at 7:25 a.m. Saturday and struck up a conversation about a car they thought was for sale.

They asked to use the phone and, once inside, pulled out guns, ordered the resident and his girlfriend to lie on the floor, then ransacked the house. The resident managed to escape, Babcock said. Tanielu and Tafilele then grabbed the firearms and jewelry and fled.

The resident pursued them in his car and got their license plate number, enabling police to track the car registration to Tanielu’s address. Babcock said the resident’s actions were risky.

“We encourage people to be good witnesses and obtain as much info as possible,” he said, without putting themselves in danger.