Custodian Robbed at School; Three Suspects Later Arrested

An elementary school custodian was robbed of his wallet by two men with baseball bats Thursday, but police found the suspects and recovered the stolen wallet early Friday.

Bryan Young, 32, was outside a classroom he was cleaning about 9:30 p.m. at Ladera Palma Elementary School, in the 2000 block of Brookdale Street, when two men approached him carrying baseball bats and ordered him to lie on the ground, La Habra Police Sgt. Phil Stufflebean said.

The assailants, one of whom wore a mask, ordered Young not to move for five minutes and took off with his wallet. Several hours later they were in custody.

Police investigating the case spotted a car matching the description of the one used in the robbery at a gas station at 1:45 a.m. Friday about two miles away.

Inside the car, police found baseball bats and Young’s wallet with $50 cash and his credit cards, Stufflebean said.

Gustavo Meza, 22, of Big Bear was taken to the La Habra City Jail and booked on suspicion of armed robbery in lieu of $50,000 bail. Two youths, ages 16 and 17, were booked into Juvenile Hall on similar charges, Stufflebean said. Police said it was likely that one of the men waited in the car during the robbery. An 18-year-old La Habra woman in the car was questioned and released.